Sampler listing the counties of England

Unknown

ca. 1851 · Silk embroidery on cotton · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

This sampler’s chart is based on information from the English census of 1851. The anonymous maker has added a little visual interest by varying the colors of the entries by region, but this sampler employs only one type of stitch (cross stitch) and no decorative patterning. Like embroidered map samplers, this work may have been produced as part of a young woman’s education, as a way of practicing lettering and geographical knowledge.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1851

Medium

Silk embroidery on cotton

Culture

British

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Gift of Elizabeth M. Riley Estate, 2002