This very early quilt was found in Granby, Connecticut. It descended in the Viets / Ahrens family who resided in the Granby/ East Granby area for generations. The early printed fabric pieced to make the design is alternated with linen, The quilting thread is of homespun linen. The three piece backing is also of homespun linen which has been almost seamlessly joined with linen thread. The batting material is cotton. the measurements are approximately 90'X 90" with 20" drops. The span of time and amount of human energy that went into this remarkable piece is truly astounding!
$1795.00
19TH CENTURY WEDDING HANDKERCHIEF
A beautiful little handkerchief of cotton delicately embroidered with tussie-mussies and hearts. The perfect something old for the bride to carry on her wedding day!!
$45.00
PLEASE CLICK ON THUMBNAILS TO SEE HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGES
REDWORK FUNDRAISER QUILT
I think this is a really special redwork quilt. It was made as a fundraiser. The quilt contains the embroidered names of hundreds who donated a bit of money to a cause in which they believed. For their donation, their name or the name of a loved one was added to the quilt. The names form an exciting pattern. As if that's not enough, this fine textile is also elaborately quilted with nice small stitches! Some of the names stitched on the quilt are Dittman, Best, Stumpner, Riddle, Kline, Cotherman, Duffer, Mays, Rossman, Baskline, Blackhall, Snively and Whitmer. A quick search reveals Clarion Cty, Pennsylvania as a likely location of origin. Some of the names have little additions such as Texas Ranger or Oklahoma, and Hawaii adding extra interest! The quilt dates c. 1920. The dimension is approx 83" X 83". the condition is very good with very light scattered discoloration and light scattered fading to several areas of red embroidery. This piece is spectacular!!
$525.00
AMERICAN SAMPLER DATED 1801
Wrought in 1801 by 11 year old Sarah Cross, this sampler has bold design and bright colors as well as 2 charming verses. The addition of three birds worked into each side of the border is particularly nice! This sampler measures 19 3/4" X 17" including the frame. It is in a beautiful early burl veneer frame. The sampler is conservation framed with acid free materials. I believe this sampler is from Rockingham, New Hampshire.
$4500.00
DANVERS, MASSACHUSETTS SAMPLER
A sampler wrought by 11 year old Mary Fowler in 1804. The letters DM at the bottom of the needlework represent Mary's town of Danvers, Massachusetts. The sampler has great composition and color as well as a nice variety of stitching and pleasant verse. An interesting addition is the mystery name A.S.Blay sewn in thread that nearly matches the linen fabric.. Could this have been the name of Mary Fowler's teacher? The sampler measures 19 1/4" X 14 3/4" including the frame. It is in a beautiful early gold leaf frame . The sampler is conservation framed with acid free materials.
$3995.00
MAINE SAMPLER BY SARAH TIFFANY
A remarkably beautiful sampler worked in 1820 by 13 year old Sarah Tiffany born 1807 Sidney, Kennebec, Maine. Sarah married John Clifford.
This sampler has an amazingly beautiful vining grape motif tied as a garland over a basket of roses which is flanked by Sarah's initials "S.T.". Beneath that are several nicely worked sets of alphabet and needlework bands followed by Sarah's name and age and last of all a pleasant verse. regarding art and nature. This lovely sampler is in very good original condition and has been framed in an appropriate gold frame using acid free materials. The overall framed dimension is 16" X 14 1/4". The sight size is 12 1/2" X 10 5/8". An interesting group of ancestral papers accompanies this piece.
$3995.00
LATE 19TH C. HOOKED RUG WITH STAG
An elaborately designed rug depicting a stag in a moonlit forest. It was hooked using a variety of textile scraps by a woman during the late 1800's. I believe the rug design is taken from a pattern possibly by Frost or some other. It is mounted on a wood frame for hanging. The rug measures 31 1/2" X 47 1/2". It would compliment any decor but would be especially suitable for a summer cabin or an Adirondack setting!
$750.00
19TH C. WOMAN'S HAT #4
A beautiful woman's hat or bonnet dating c. 1870. We are offering several of these from the same estate.. They are rare survivors in this condition. These were meant to be worn in front of a tall hair style and tied behind the head. This hat is of brown velvet ornamented in front with a brown satin bow. It is in excellent condition inside and out with the only damage being a bit of loss to one of the satin ribbon ties although it still retains its full length. No maker's label is readily evident.
$85.00.
19TH C WOMAN'S HAT #1
A beautiful woman's hat or bonnet dating c. 1870. We are offering several of these from the same estate.. They are rare survivors in this condition. These were meant to be worn kind of propped in front of a tall hair style and tied behind the head. This example is of plush black velvet and is decorated in front with a black ostrich plume. To prevent the hat from being deemed too somber, a bright pink tying ribbon is added along side the black one. The interior is lined with a delicate light pink silk. It is really in lovely original condition. We have other beautiful Victorian era clothing from this estate!
$85.00
19TH C WOMAN'S HAT # 2
A beautiful woman's hat or bonnet dating c. 1870. We are offering several of these from the same estate.. They are rare survivors in this condition. These were meant to be worn in front of a tall hair style and tied behind the head.. This example is made of a finely woven slightly stiff material strips of which are sewn in a spiral. It is ornamented in front with a grosgrain type ribbon bow and a saber decoration constructed of faceted jet (one piece of jet is missing). The hat has a black lace veil. A part of the lace is torn but a few discreet stitches could repair this small flaw.. The grosgrain ties match the bow decoration that is on the front. The interior is partly filled with a lavender tissue that appears original perhaps to help "fill out" the hat. No maker's label is evident on this very sophisticated creation.
$85.00
WOMAN'S SEWING POCKET OR RETICULE
This is a beautiful Edwardian piece which appears is made to hold a woman's sewing. It is in excellent original condition and is gaily hand embroidered all over with daisies in pale green and pink silk. The light cotton pocket is otherwise machine sewn. It retains its original pink silk draw ribbon.
$95.00
LARGE GROUPING OF 18TH AND EARLY 19TH CENTURY LINEN SHEETS, ETC.
This is a huge grouping of early American linen sheets and pillow cases. shown in the photograph is a sampling. Many are monogrammed and numbered. The group descended in the Seelye / Morehouse family who resided in Fairfield, Connecticut. Interestingly, it is a Morehouse descendent for whom Morehouse College which is located in Atlanta, GA., was named,. A genealogy of the families who grew, processed and spun the flax used the make these; and then wove and used these linens accompanies the lot. Hannah Seelye Morehouse (b.1777 - d.1853) married Lyman Morehouse (b.1776 - d.1860) in 1798 in Bethel, Connecticut which is in Fairfield County. Most of the individual items have a hand penned ancestral note attached...
$850.00
SUFFIELD, CONNECTICUT SAMPLER
A sampler dated September 1, 1819 by Caroline Elizabeth Loomis who was born and who lived in Suffield, Connecticut. The alphabet is embroidered with fine silk thread in several styles with a band of stitching between each variety of text. The lower portion of the sampler contains the date, September first 1819, surrounded by a strawberry border. This piece is in very good original condition. It is stitched on to what I can only describe as a gossamer linen fabric. The background linen fabric has a very light open weave which I would think would make the embroidery very difficult especially for a girl not quite 8 years old!. The sampler is in its original frame. It has been mounted on to acid free materials. Excuse the glare (from the glass) visible on the upper case letters H & R. The overall dimension including the frame is approx. 12" X 17 7/8" .Caroline is the daughter of the Honorable Luther Loomis and Elizabeth Leavitt. both families have a long history in Suffield, Connecticut. Genealogy accompanies the sampler.
$1500.00
TWO 18TH c. SILK EMBROIDERED POCKET BOOKS
A pair of beautifully worked silk embroidered pocket books that were both made by the same young girl. They date to the mid 1700's. The larger example, which measures approx. 3 1/2" X 5 3/4", was lovingly made for her Papa. The interior of that one is also skillfully embroidered. The other smaller pocket book is of the style that would have been carried by a woman. This one may have been made for the young girl's mother or possibly for herself. Both examples are embroidered using the difficult queen stitch. they were found in a Southport, Connecticut estate. There is wear to some of the silk around the exterior edges of the larger example. The silk is sewn over a linen ground. some of the sequin decoration on the interior of the larger example is missing or loose. The smaller example, which measures approx. 5" X 3 1/2", miraculously retains its original ribbon closure which is barely hanging on. The interior compartments of both are in good original condition. Overall these early pocket books display beautifully. They have always been together and I just do not have the heart to split them up!!!
$2200.00
c. 1800 SILK EMBROIDERED PICTURE
This lovely silk embroidered picture was found in Eastern, Connecticut. It exhibits characteristics of work from several Connecticut schools. The scene within the fan or medallion shaped window is unusual in that it incorporates a tiny white center hall homestead at the left corner. This may be a depiction of the young girl's school or perhaps the residence of the homesick young schoolgirl responsible for this beautiful work. It is embroidered with a combination of chenille, silk and metallic threads. The large red house, sky and small white house are painted. the two women are painted, cut out and placed amid the embroidery. There is a section that was never completed, at the bottom of the fan. It would have consisted of palm leaves which you can see have been drawn in under the fan . The silk embroidery is housed in an early frame behind early glass that has been reverse painted. The silk was glued down quite a long time ago. It does not seem to have done harm to the piece. Sorry, but we could not get a photo without glare. The overall dimension including the early frame is 23 1/2" X 21 1/2".
$2700.00
CANTERBURY, NEW HAMPSHIRE SAMPLER
A spectacular sampler wrought in 1800 by 14 year old Mary Ames. Mary was born Jan 14, 1786 in Canterbury, NH. She was the daughter of David Ames and Phebe Hoyt. All are buried on a family cemetery near their house at Zion Hill in Canterbury. A family genealogy accompanies the piece. the sampler is mounted with acid free materials. The sight size is 14" X 11 1/4". There is one small area of loss to the linen in the center from when the piece was stored folded. A small piece of matching fabric laid behind the area makes the loss almost invisible. This sampler is in very good original condition otherwise. It retains strong vibrant colors. Mary's stitchery is flawless.
$12000.00
LESSONS STITCHED IN SILK SAMPLERS FROM THE CANTERBURY REGION OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
This is a booklet from the 1990 exhibition Dartmouth College Hood Museum of Art. The exhibit was guest
curated by Elisabeth Donaghy Garrett. The book contains 20 pages and has illustrations both in color and black and white of samplers from the Canterbury, NH region.
$35.00
POLLY (MARY) MUZZY'S SAMPLER SPENCER, MA
This is a colorful bright little sampler worked in 1805 by 10 year old Polly (AKA Mary) Muzzy of Spencer, Massachusetts. She was born Oct 23, 1795 to Jonas Muzzy and Abigail Lamb. Polly married Levi Woodward. The sampler is decorated with trees, and a basket of flowers. It includes examples of queen stitch and flame stitching. Unframed, the sampler measures approximately 7 1/2" X 10 1/4. It is framed in a period lemon gold frame and the sampler is mounted using acid free materials.
$895.00
PHOEBE RYERSON'S SAMPLER BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
This sampler was worked in 1828 by P. Ryerson. A genealogical search backward from the most recent (Kissam Family) descendent revealed that P. Ryerson was Phoebe Ryerson of Brooklyn, New York. The Ryerson family came from Amsterdam in the 1600's and was therefore one of the early Dutch families to settle Brooklyn. An interesting feature of this sampler is the technique used to finish off the edges by binding them with green silk, something often done on samplers from Pennsylvania. It is in very good condition with one tiny break to the linen just to the left of the letter Y second line from the bottom. Not including the early gessoed and red painted frame, the sampler measures approximately 81/2" X 11 1/2". It is mounted using acid free materials. A family genealogy accompanies this piece.
$995.00
SALLY E. LADD'S SAMPLER
A nice sampler worked in the 1820's by Sally E. Ladd probably of of Maine or Connecticut. The colors remain nice and bright on this sampler which features lines of letters separated by bands that use a variety of decorative stitching. Sally stitched her name at the bottom. The sampler is in excellent original condition. It measures approximately 8" X 121/2". It is mounted using acid free materials.
$695.00
A 19TH CENTURY VELVET HEART SHAPED PIN CUSHION
An early cotton stuffed velvet pic cushion. It retains some of its blue rick racking stitch around the edges. It also has its original silk hanging loop. There is some wear to the velvet on one side probably from being worn on a belt or chatelaine. There is some scattered discoloration The overal size is 3 1/4" tall and 3 1/2" wide.
$40.00
GROUP OF 19TH CENTURY SEWING ITEMS
This group of sewing items consists of a hand made pincushion covered on one side with dark green velvet and on the other in a pink calico print. The edges are decorated with pink silk rick rack stitching. The center feels like pasteboard. Also included are a set of three brass thimbles two of which are tiny enough that they would have had to have been used by children. The thimbles are housed in a home made case comprised of stitched pieces of soft leather and a piece of brown cotton fabric. The last item in the lot is a wooden case full of tiny crochet hooks. One of the hooks is marked Boye made in USA. the hooked end of this one has a steel cover that fits over it.
$40.00
LEBANON, CONNECTICUT SAMPLER
A sampler wrought in 1831 by Cordelia Hayward of Lebanon, CT. She names her teacher as L. L. Scovell who is Lydia L. Scovell b. Jan 15, 1808. Cordelia was born April 4, 1821 in Lebanon, CT. She was the daughter of Caleb and Sally Hayward. The sampler is mounted using acid free material. It is in very good original condition with one tiny hold lower right and some age related toning. It is a rare Lebanon , CT sampler with graphic detail and beautiful stitching. An almost identical sampler from Lebanon is included as fig. 87 in glee Kreuger's book titled New England Samplers to 1840.
$8900.00
LATE 19TH CENTURY NEEDLECASE
A charming velvet covered needle case adorned with a diecut. It was made to be given as a gift probably to a loved one. The case reads Forget Me Not. It opens revealing Royal large eyed sharps which are needles in sizes # 6, 7, 8, 5/10, All of the needles are present. The case measures 2 1/4, wide 2 3/4 long and 1 1/4 high.
$55.00
HOOKED RUG WITH CALICO CAT
A hooked rug dating from the last quarter of the 19th century. It is boldly colored and depicts a beautiful Calico cat. Some scattered restoration has been done to the reds and background. It is mounted for display and is a lovely decorative piece!. The overall size is approximately 38 1/2" X 20 1/2".
$750.00
NATIVE AMERICAN BEADED BAG
A beaded bag probably Iroquois. It dates to the first quarter of the 19th century. There are some beads missing and loss to the red silk that ran around the edge of the bag. The contrast of the colors and pattern of the flowers are beautiful! The overall size is approximately &' X 7".
$225.00
RARE PIECED MEDALLION QUILT TOP
Amazing workmanship is the only way to describe this early 19th century textile. The earliest presently known pieced or framed medallion quilt dates to 1830 according to quilt specialist Barbara Brackman. The fabric selection used on this example is exquisite and the precise assemblage is an extraordinary feat. The quilt top is in remarkable original condition with only a couple of pieces of fabric only lightly abraided. A backing and border was added in the 20th century so that this could be used as a bed cover. The approximate size is 72" X 92"
$2995.00
17TH CETURY NEEDLEWORK OF PYRAMUS AND THISBE
A padded needlework or stumpwork depicting Ovid's story of Pyramus and Thisbe. The forbidden lovers shared a conjoined home with their families. They decided to meet at Ninus' tomb under a Mulberry tree to declare their love for each other. thisbe arrived first to find a lioness feeding on a fresh kill. In fear, she ran and in doing so lost her veil. when Pyramis arrived, he saw the lioness near the mangled veil and assumed Thisbe had been killed. He threw himself on his sword and died. When Thisbe reappeared to meet Pyramus, she found him so, picked up his sword and used it to end her own life. the Gods turned the mulberries deep red in color to honor the lovers.
The needlework is in excellent condition. Metallic threads are used as well as chenille. I love the natural elements like the caterpillars, butterfly and the birds, squirrel and deer that are worked into the piece as well as the huge raised work flowers and log by Thisbe's feet.. The overall framed size is approximately 16 1/4" X 12".
$12500.00
WHITEWORK SAMPLER
I believe This to be of Irish origin. It is beautifully worked and appears to be embroidered on a crocheted ground. Ballyblank is, I think, a small town located in Ireland.. The piece is dated 1829.It is in excellent original condition. The work alone measures approximately 14" X 5 1/2". The framed dimensions are 17 3/4" X 7 1/2" Please excuse the glare from the glass in our photo!.
