Description:
"Conway/ July 29 1806" and "Polixana Bond/ Aged 9 6 of Dec/ 1806." Needlework sampler wrought by Polixana Bond (b. December 6, 1796; d. November 29, 1856) of Conway, Massachusetts. Executed in silk floss cross stitch on the open linen ground. While there is no depiction of a white bird outlined in darker thread, many other aspects link this example to the so-called White Dove embroideries wrought in Franklin County between about 1791 and 1832, including the color of the embroidery thread as well as other motifs such as the basket of fruit or flowers, small black dogs, and zig zag border. Polixana was the daughter of Consider and Jane Bond. She is buried in the Howland Cemetary in Conway.
Label Text:
Nine-year old Polixana Bond (1796-1856) embroidered this sampler in or near her hometown of Conway, Massachusetts. As the name suggests, these kinds of work reinforced the maker's skills through a selection, or sample, of repeated stitches. Bond may have been taught at home, but could also have completed this example at a nearby academy. The large, open weave of the linen ground served as an excellent canvas on which to practice newly learned techniques like cross-stitch, which required precision and patience to create a uniform appearance.
Subjects:
Textile fabrics; Linen; polychrome; Silk Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2012.34 |
