Bidspirit auction | 1786 Needlework Sampler Featuring Figurative

1786 Needlework Sampler Featuring Figurative and Floral Motifs - This 18th-century needlework sampler is executed in silk or wool threads using cross-stitch and other hand-embroidery techniques on a loosely woven linen ground. The central composition features a large, stylized flower in a footed urn with decorative handles, flanked by two smaller floral sprays. The upper register contains various motifs including a heart, a large bird (peacock or turkey), a basket of fruit or a crown, and a smaller bird. Figurative elements include a female figure on the left and a pair of smaller figures on the right. The entire scene is enclosed within a repeating red and green floral bud border. A stitched inscription on the right side above the small figures consists of four capital letters: J, M, E, and L. Below these initials, a date is stitched within a rectangular border: 1786. On the fabric mount below the bottom edge of the sampler, there is a handwritten inscription in pencil or ink that reads: Susanna veReck Leslie, FR. 1786. The sampler is housed in a dark-stained wood frame with a gold-tone inner liner and a paper-covered reverse. Width: 9 1/4 inches (measured across the frame) Height: 10 1/4 inches (measured along the frame). The sampler ground exhibits significant age-related wear, including heavy fraying and loss of fabric along the left and right edges (photo 1). The linen is overall discolored and tea-stained (photo 3). Embroidery threads show general fading, though the primary red and green pigments remain discernible (photo 4). Small holes and structural losses are visible in the fabric ground, particularly near the edges (photo 3). The wooden frame shows significant wear, including scuffing, loss of finish, and dust accumulation (photo 10). The paper backing on the reverse is aged, brittle, and torn at the top left corner (photo 5).