Needlework and Calligraphy on Paper,

Needlework on paper has always interested collectors as it allows for few missteps; once the needle has pierced the paper, there is no turning back. This delightful little picture incorporates a fine needlework deception of an exotic bird with an outstanding and highly unusual calligraphy caption stating, “Bird of Paradise / Mary Anne Teague / Aged 6 Years / 1840.” We feel certain that Mary Anne stitched the bird, and a highly proficient adult, perhaps her teacher, inked the caption. 

It is in its original bevel frame with a paint glaze and a framer’s label from Penzance, Cornwall, England. While we can’t be certain, the maker may be the Mary Ann Teague who shows up in the 1851 England Census, age 18 and living in Truro, Cornwall, not too far from Penzance. She was the daughter of Richard and Rebecca Teague.