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Sampler: T.139-1938

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Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Production: Sperinck, Johanna

Entities

Categories

Description

Linen white work sampler embroidered with linen and silk threads in buttonhole and chain stitch with drawn thread work and hollie point fillings. The sampler has raw edges with remnants of a border pattern and a hem on the left side. The pattern consists of a female figure with a bird seated on her hand, she is standing on a small mount and is surrounded by large flowers and leaves made out of drawn thread work which resembles Dresden work or Point de Saxe. Inside the mound the inscription reads 'March 13 1719/ Iohanna Sperinck'. The date is plainly English however the name is not.

Legal notes

Given by George de Menasce

Measurements and weight

Length: 24.5 cm
Width: 22 cm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1956-09-25) by de Menasce, George

Dating

18th Century, Early
Production date: AD 1719

Note

The combination of continental and English white work techniques with a similarly mixed inscription suggests either a young woman whose family had settled in England or one who has come from the continent to work as a governess.

Materials used in production

embroidery Silk
ground and thread Linen

Techniques used in production

Weaving : Linen white work sampler embroidered with linen and silk threads in buttonhole and chain stitch with drawn thread work and hollie point fillings. The sampler has raw edges with remnants of a border pattern and a hem on the left side.
Embroidering
Drawn thread work

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: T.139-1938
Primary reference Number: 110865

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Thursday 23 October 2025

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Sampler" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/110865 Accessed: 2025-12-06 22:34:35

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/110865 |title=Sampler |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-06 22:34:35|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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