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Pictorial Embroidery
Anonymous Maker Circa 1823 Trenton, New Jersey Silk thread on paper, backed with newspaper Purchased in Memory of Mrs. Alexander Oliphant OBA 1978.001.0002 |
This vertical still life, created with crinkled silk thread, depicts a sprig of botanically correct roses and buds with two-color leaves and prickly thorns. It is predominantly worked with satin and stem stitches, sewn through the front paper and the newspaper backing. A handful of floral embroideries on paper are known, dating from the late 1700s to about 1830. They were made both here and abroad, although it unknown whether or not the technique of newspaper backing was used consistently. Here, the 1823 Trenton newspaper features a poem about the "Goddess of Fortune", items for sale at Joel Gordon's Trenton clothing store, and an ad for the sale of a mansion house in which "the situation is pleasant and healthy, near the Delaware River and above the falls".
The companion piece to this object can be found here: Silk Basket on Newspaper Description taken from Hail Specimen of Female Art! New Jersey Schoolgirl Needlework, 1726-1860, Morven Museum & Garden (2014) |