Page 19 - Demo

Elizabeth Morris, 1803, Trenton, NJ or Philadelphia There is an exquisite presence to this important needlework picture, only the second known example of this specific group to have surfaced. Inscribed \Morris's Work In the 12 Year of Her Age 1803\samplermaker also recorded her birthdate (March 3, 1791) and those of her parents, John Morris (July 7, 1768) and Margaret Morris (November 14, 1769). From the extensive family history that accompanies this sampler we know that the family had strong ties to Trenton and Philadelphia. It is likely that the family lived in Trenton; however, the ambitious design and sophisticated execution of this piece could point to Philadelphia as the location of the school Elizabeth Morris attended. Elizabeth Morris married Charles Burroughs circa 1810 and they were the parents of nine children; she died in 1828 and is buried in the church yard of the First Presbyterian Church of Trenton. The needlework picture, while not a \traditional format, is remarkable for the overall narrative quality of its structure. The upper third of the piece, separated by a shimmering fence and gate, depicts a delightful genre scene between two houses -- the gentleman with his hat in hand is leading his horse uphill towards a lady in her garden. A lush, bucolic setting dominates the lower portion of the piece. The stream populated with birds and fish is an image rarely found in needlework and does appear in an almost identical format on the Tindall sampler, the other known piece from this group. The wooded area of both the Tindall and our Morris sampler is entitled \and is worked in cross stitch. Worked in lustrous silk onto a very tight linen, this piece is in very good condition and has been conservation mounted into a 19th century walnut frame. Sampler size: 21 1/4\/4\Price: $12,000. M. Finkel e:l Daughter. DDDDDDDD 15 (Detail)