Sampler
Maker's Name
Davis, Eliza
Location
Montgomery County, Kentucky
Date Made
1839
Maker's Age
unknown
Dimensions
21 ¾ x 15 inches
Medium
Cotton embroidery threads on a cotton ground of 30 x 22 threads/inch (fibers identified microscopically) with cross over 1 and 2, eyelet, longarm cross, queen, and Romanian stitches
Provenance
Made by Eliza Davis, 1839. Eliza Davis has not otherwise been identified at this time by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Several Eliza Davises have been found in Kentucky records. Sold at Skinners Auction, March 1, 2015. Per Chris Barber of Skinners, sampler was from a single item consignment by a collector that the auction house has worked with before. It was suspected that the consignor may have taken the sampler from an estate. (Telephone conversation Chris Barber with Kim Ivey, CWF, February, 2015). Colonial Williamsburg Museum Purchase in 2015
Description
This is a rectangular needlework sampler worked in faded shades of blue, green, and gold on a natural color cotton ground. The top half of the sampler consists of one upper case alphabet in script; three upper case alphabets in block; the numerals 1-4; and a lower case alphabet in block divided by bands. The bottom portion of the sampler consists of the verse from Isaac Watt's "Divine Songs":
I'll not willingly offend
Nor be easily offended
What's amis [sic] I'll strive to mend
And indure [sic] what cant [sic] be mended
Signature:
Eliza Davis's Sampler
March 12th A. D 1839
Montgomery County Kentucky
This is enclosed in a queen stitch border and surrounded by isolated motifs including queen stitched strawberries, butterfly, a basket of flowers or fruit, an undulating vine of tulip-like flowers, two tiny black dogs, floral motifs, and a small flowering tree in an urn. The entire sampler is enclosed in a border of wave motif worked in cross stitch.
An inked inscription on a small label for a file folder on back of sampler mount reads:
"FROm
GRANDMA WilSTE's - House
ELIE S. KRIE[C or G]H'S - Mother
My DAD
She MaRRiED P. L. ELDER in '[2 or 5]0's"
By the time Eliza Davis completed the sampler in 1839, the Montgomery County seat, Mount Sterling, was a well-established town with a number of public facilities including a jail and post office. Situated in the outer Bluegrass Region of Kentucky, the area was primarily agricultural. Eliza's large alphabet sampler was probably made at a local academy for female education.
I'll not willingly offend
Nor be easily offended
What's amis [sic] I'll strive to mend
And indure [sic] what cant [sic] be mended
Signature:
Eliza Davis's Sampler
March 12th A. D 1839
Montgomery County Kentucky
This is enclosed in a queen stitch border and surrounded by isolated motifs including queen stitched strawberries, butterfly, a basket of flowers or fruit, an undulating vine of tulip-like flowers, two tiny black dogs, floral motifs, and a small flowering tree in an urn. The entire sampler is enclosed in a border of wave motif worked in cross stitch.
An inked inscription on a small label for a file folder on back of sampler mount reads:
"FROm
GRANDMA WilSTE's - House
ELIE S. KRIE[C or G]H'S - Mother
My DAD
She MaRRiED P. L. ELDER in '[2 or 5]0's"
By the time Eliza Davis completed the sampler in 1839, the Montgomery County seat, Mount Sterling, was a well-established town with a number of public facilities including a jail and post office. Situated in the outer Bluegrass Region of Kentucky, the area was primarily agricultural. Eliza's large alphabet sampler was probably made at a local academy for female education.
Owner/History of Owner/Credit Line
Colonial Williamsburg Museum Purchase, Acc. No. 2015-156
AKS Catalog Number
2019-013
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