Coat of Arms

H. Goodwin

ca. 1800–1810 · Silk, gold and metallic thread, embroidered · The American Wing

This stylish Neoclassical coat of arms was most likely copied from a design by the senior John Coles (ca. 1749-1809), a well-known heraldic painter from Boston. The piece displays the hallmarks of embroideries completed at the Misses Pattens' School, such as the raised-work eagle stitched with metallic threads and the swagged garland of roses suspended from spangled bowknots at the top corners. The school was presided over by Ruth Wheelock Patten (1740-1831) and her three daughters, Sarah, Ruth, and Mary. Between 1785 and 1825, when the school closed, they taught embroidery, painting, and music, and provided instruction in morals and manners to almost four thousand young women. "Roberts" may have been the maiden name of H. Goodwin's mother.

Artist

H. Goodwin

Date

ca. 1800–1810

Medium

Silk, gold and metallic thread, embroidered

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Alvin and Davida Deutsch, 1993