AMERICAN SCHOOLGIRL PICTORIAL NEEDLEWORK AND ALPHABET SAMPLER.

Circa 1765, Essex County, Massachusetts. A rare and exceptional needlework wrought by Elizabeth Field, with rows of alphabet above the stitched inscription “Elizabeth Field Wrought This in the 11th Year of her Age, October the 26th, 1765” within a stitched framework bordered by intricate floral vinery in shades of silver, cream, gold, and blue, above a scene of two courting couples centering a flowering tree. Silk and metal thread on linen. “The needlework of eighteenth-century Salem schoolgirls rivaled the work from Boston, and can generally be recognized by the presence of crinkly silk worked in untouched satin stitches of exceptional length, often in diagonal directions. This unusual technique was evidently initiated around 1740 by a Salem schoolmistress with fresh ideas and considerable talent and was continued by her successors until the close of the century. This teacher probably taught music as well, and the engravings from her songbooks may have inspired her embroidery patterns.” (Betty Ring; Girlhood Embroidery: American Samplers & Pictoral Needlework 1650-1850; Alfred A Knopf; New York 1993; Volume I; Embroideries of Essex County, Massachusetts; pp. 100-108.) Elizabeth Field was the Daughter of Samuel Field (a boat builder from Salem, Massachusetts) & Priscilla Ingalls; She was christened on October 13, 1754; She married Samuel McIntire (1757-1811) of Salem, Massachusetts on October 10, 1778; Only one son from this marriage survived, Samuel Field McIntire (1780-1819) who was born to them in November of 1780; She died in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts on October 15, 1815 at the age of 61. Samuel McIntire was Salem’s preeminent furniture maker, architect and carver (Dean T. Lahikainen; Samuel McIntire: Carving an American Style; Peabody Essex Museum; Salem, Massachusetts; 2007; p. 26). His son, Samuel Field McIntire, followed in his father’s tradition into the 19th century. SIZE: sight: 14-1/2″ h x 15-1/2″ w. CONDITION: Good, in untouched condition mounted on original backboard, in original frame. Linen foundation shows age toning, some deterioration of silk thread primarily in gowns of women, lower corners with some minor staining, otherwise good. 50839-10 (12,000-25,000) – Lot 2069

Auction: Fine Art, Asian & Antique Auction - August 2016

Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

Image	Lot	Price	Description
	2069	$14,220.00	AMERICAN SCHOOLGIRL PICTORIAL NEEDLEWORK AND ALPHABET SAMPLER. Circa 1765, Essex County, Massachusetts. A rare and exceptional needlework wrought by Elizabeth Field, with rows of alphabet above the stitched inscription “Elizabeth Field Wrought This in the 11th Year of her Age, October the 26th, 1765” within a stitched framework bordered by intricate floral vinery in shades of silver, cream, gold, and blue, above a scene of two courting couples centering a flowering tree. Silk and metal thread on linen. “The needlework of eighteenth-century Salem schoolgirls rivaled the work from Boston, and can generally be recognized by the presence of crinkly silk worked in untouched satin stitches of exceptional length, often in diagonal directions. This unusual technique was evidently initiated around 1740 by a Salem schoolmistress with fresh ideas and considerable talent and was continued by her successors until the close of the century. This teacher probably taught music as well, and the engravings from her songbooks may have inspired her embroidery patterns.” (Betty Ring; Girlhood Embroidery: American Samplers & Pictoral Needlework 1650-1850; Alfred A Knopf; New York 1993; Volume I; Embroideries of Essex County, Massachusetts; pp. 100-108.) Elizabeth Field was the Daughter of Samuel Field (a boat builder from Salem, Massachusetts) & Priscilla Ingalls; She was christened on October 13, 1754; She married Samuel McIntire (1757-1811) of Salem, Massachusetts on October 10, 1778; Only one son from this marriage survived, Samuel Field McIntire (1780-1819) who was born to them in November of 1780; She died in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts on October 15, 1815 at the age of 61. Samuel McIntire was Salem’s preeminent furniture maker, architect and carver (Dean T. Lahikainen; Samuel McIntire: Carving an American Style; Peabody Essex Museum; Salem, Massachusetts; 2007; p. 26). His son, Samuel Field McIntire, followed in his father’s tradition into the 19th century. SIZE: sight: 14-1/2″ h x 15-1/2″ w. CONDITION: Good, in untouched condition mounted on original backboard, in original frame. Linen foundation shows age toning, some deterioration of silk thread primarily in gowns of women, lower corners with some minor staining, otherwise good. 50839-10 (12,000-25,000) – Lot 2069 Auction: Fine Art, Asian & Antique Auction - August 2016 Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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AMERICAN SCHOOLGIRL PICTORIAL NEEDLEWORK AND ALPHABET SAMPLER.