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Sampler
1849
- Credit Line
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Bequest of Maria Jane Dunlop, 1950
- Gallery location
- 18th & 19th Century Decorative Arts & Paintings Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work
Samplers began as reference works for patterns and designs before the introduction of printing. By the seventeenth century, needlework skills had become an essential part of a girl’s education and samplers developed into a means of instruction for decorating clothing and household furishings, and for mending and marking linen. They included a range of designs, including numbers, the alphabet, decorative motifs, repeat patterns and short religious or moralising verses. This sampler is believed to be Scottish in origin. Samplers were made within Shaker communities but were not produced for decorative purposes. Rather, they were used by girls to practise marking their clothing and bedding with initials and numbers.
Artwork Details
Bequest of Maria Jane Dunlop, 1950
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Professor AGL Shaw AO Bequest
Level 2, NGV International