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Crewel Embroidered Panel, English c. 1750

From the personal collection of renowned Nantucket needle artist, Elizabeth Gilbert, author of: 200 Years of Nantucket Needlework, comes this amazing piece of 18th century needle artistry. Plumed birds, a charming squirrel, and an array of insects live amid exotic flora and fauna. This colorfully chaotic piece also includes chinnoiserie imagery, reflecting a decorative style that hit its peak in the mid-18th century and remains popular to this day. The person who worked this piece surely had a fun sense of playful abandon! Mounted on stretched linen. 25 1/2" x 36". Price: $1,400.

Floral Needlework Double Pocketbook, American 18th Century

One can never own enough 18th century needlework! It's artistry and color enliven any room of brown furniture. This example is wrought in particularly rich shades of coral, red, green, and gold, set off nicely against a deep olive background. The two toned coloration of the lining (bright pink and red linen) is quite unusual. Wool on canvas. Price: $2,700.

A fine"Ombre" Roller Printed Quilt, c. 1830-1840

Ombre is a term used to describe fabric printed in various values of the same color, one graduated tone leading into the other, as in the blue fabric shown here. For those of you who collect early 19th century quilts, you know what a great print this is. The vivid colors (blues, browns, cream and a touch of rose) and condition of this quilt are remarkable. Size is approximately 88” x 91”. SOLD

Wholecloth Quilt in a Rare "Pillar" Print, c. 1815-1825

There are 14 tiny, neat stitches per inch on this early 19th century quilt featuring bouquets of flowers adorning Corinthian columns or "pillars". Oak branches and acorns are scattered throughout the print. Reference a similar example at Old Sturbridge Village, Collection No. 26.23.39. Size is approximately 81” x 90. Price: Inquire.

Gentleman's Crewel Pocketbook with Owner Identification, 18th Century

This wallet is worked in wool on canvas in an overall flamestitch design. The fuchsia lining is inscribed as follows: "W. Benjamin Maynard New Salem, Ohio". The wallet does have heavy losses, but included is a very early 18th century pincushion with early pins amazingly still intact! Price: $650. Acorn thimble sold seperately.

Girl’s 2-piece Silk Ensemble, c. 1870

This near mint outfit comes from a Massachusetts family in the Peabody area. Both the dress and matching jacket have their original wood and crocheted buttons. The cobalt blue, brown and cream silk outfit is embellished with coordinating gimp trim, fringe and rosettes. Price: $495.

Signed and Dated Stuff Work Dressing Table Cover, Long Island, 1823

This is a whitework dressing table cover with beautiful stuff work (basket of flowers, borders, etc). It has its original white cotton fringe trim and is in wonderful condition throughout. It is signed “S. (or P.) Miller August 1823” from the Miller family of Miller Place, Long Island, NY. Price: $950.

Girl's Linen Day Dress, c.1850

A charming printed day dress from a Massachusetts family in the Peabody area. The linen dress features a gathered bodice and skirt with a wide, slightly dropped, waistband. Price: $350.

Embroidered Bargello Needle Roll, English, c1860

This is a charming needle holder or "roll-up". The outer side is completely covered with a needlepoint flame stitch in soft wool. The lining is a fine twilled wool that has been hand embroidered with the numbers of the various needle sizes (7, 8, 9, 10, 11 & Darners). The entire piece is assembled with tiny hand stitches and trimmed with silk ribbon. It measures 12 3/4" long unrolled and 2 3/8" wide. Price: $320.

Girl's Calico Printed Muslin Dress, American, c1850

A wonderful original circa 1850's girl's boldly calico printed muslin dress with a lined bodice. Piped at the neckline, the armscyes, the ruffled sleeve hems and above and below the cartridge pleated waistband. Incised shell buttons to the back closure, and an unlined skirt with one tuck above the turned hem. 14" from shoulder to shoulder, a 28" chest, 25" waist and 31" from shoulder to front hem. Price: $275.

Gentleman's Silk Neck Handkerchief, American, 18th Century

The 18th-century man almost always wore some sort of neck cloth, whether fashionably dressed or at labor. The neck handkerchief, a large square of linen, cotton, muslin, or silk, was generally worn by sporting gentlemen and working tradesmen alike. This handkerchief was owned by Samuel Davis (1762-1856), a Revolutionary soldier and Mayflower descendent. (Stickpin Sold). Price: $395.

Triangular Embroidered Panel/Stomacher, Continental, 1720-1730

A very early 18th century piece of embroidery, that was most likely a stomacher. Floral silks in strong colors are embroidered onto a silk ground and highlighted throughout with couched gold metallic thread. The piece is backed onto hessian for support. The whole garment, stomacher and dress, must have been quite stunning, not to mention quite costly. Appears to be Continental, and perhaps Italian, specifically. 8" in length and nearly 9" at its widest point. Price: $395.

Turkish Slippers, 19th Century

Yellow kid leather with straight soles. Original gilt leather embroidery and silk pompoms. Reference near identical pair in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston #92.2804). Price: $150

Theorem Panels, English or American, c. 1830

Theorem painting, a technique in which stencils are used in applying paint to paper or fabric, became one of the most popular types of painting for women, schoolgirls, and housewives alike. The stencils were cut from horn paper, which was ordinary drawing paper coated with linseed oil, then brushed with turpentine or varnish. The stencil was placed on the material and the open areas were covered with paint. The goal was to create delicate graduations of color within the shapes defined by the stencils. The detail work was done with India ink and a fine sable brush. These examples are painted on cotton velvet with a variety of flowers including roses, sweet pea, bellflower, and anemones, all in shades of pink, blue, mauve, soft brown and green, on a natural colored ground. There are two panels, 7 1/4 " wide, and of varying length. SOLD

Man's Needlework Pocketbook, American, 18th Century

This wallet exterior (no lining) features rich, graduated shades of deep reds and pinks, olive, deep cream, and celadon crewel yarns worked in a carnation design. Archival framing with acid-free backing and UV glass. Old frame. Price: $900

"The Seduction", English circa 1700

A fine early 18th century silk worked picture. This tent stitched piece shows an amorous man with a winsome shepherdess in a lush pastoral landscape. In the background is a mansion house, originally with mica windows. The background is Parisian stitched using cream colored silk; the pool of water and the sheep are worked with furry silk chenille. 12 1/4" x 10 3/4", period frame. This piece is further discussed in an article by Kathleen Staples in the book Common Thread: Common Ground. Price: On Request.

Rare Beaded Silk and Metallic Pincushion “Etui”, English 18th Century

Elaborately decorated accessories such as gloves, purses, needlecases and pincushions were treasured gifts. They provided the perfect format to demonstrate needlework artistry. This “Etui” or needlecase was created by combining a number of precious materials. The shape is rounded at the top and tapers to the bottom where it ends with a stuffed rectangular pincushion. The upper portion is comprised of five trapezoidal sections each with a mirror (silver-nitrate painted glass) adorned by loops of metallic coils outlining flat, teardrop-shaped metallic discs and beading. The oval and heart-shaped glass lozenges alternate from the top: oval, heart, oval, heart, oval. The entire piece is edged with metallic lace. The pincushion has a narrow metallic trim with four corner looped embellishments. Silvered glass was a luxury item, thus the extensive use of mirrors in this piece and the complexity of its design, indicate that it was indeed a gift for a much beloved person. 21" x 7" x 1 1/4". Price: $2,000.

Needlework Single Pocketbook, American, c. 1800

Irish-stitched crewel wool needlework pocketbook worked in a diamond-within-diamond pattern. Excellent color with vivid shades of coral, violet, green, brown, pink, and cream. Jagged shapes outlined in black. 6" wide by 3" high. Lined in silk. Price: $450.

Silvermine Antiques - New Canaan, CT

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