Mary Emerson

A charming Adam & Eve sampler, this is inscribed "Remember Thy Creator in / The Days of Thy Youth / Mary Emerson March 1 1805." 

The assorted motifs include windmills, butterflies, birds and a costumed shepherd with his staff, dog and flock of sheep, but it is Adam and Eve scene that commands attention. The large serpent is wrapped around the trunk of the tree and seems to hold a basket in its mouth and the two figures have unusual treatment to their hair. They each have ponytails formed of silk floss which are long enough and made so that they could actually swing away from the sampler. Strong color, balanced format and excellent needlework are all combined in this sampler. 

The sampler was worked in silk on wool and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted into a beveled figured maple frame with a black bead.