Embroidered sampler, 1844, Mariah Boil (American, born 1832), Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. Silk and cotton thread on linen/cotton.
Few samplers were made in Shaker communities. This example is a sweet and simple piece of work, finely made and laid out in a clear composition. It illustrates the well-known Shaker mission to produce architecture and decorative arts that were functional but beautiful and that depended on the bare essentials of form for their decorative appeal.
Design is fine. History is mine. 