Wonderfully Colorful and Varied C. 1900 Dutch Darning Sampler

Regular price $190.00

If you are reading this, you probably strongly identify with certain objects, especially ones with history, as I do. For me, an antique darning sampler, as much as most any other sort of thing, feels like life itself: torn over and over in order to be carefully, beautifully mended, with the mends together creating a portrait of all sorts of different solutions to the problem of the tear. And then age and stains and marks of being folded and put away for many years then found again on top of that. So beautiful, and so graphic and modern feeling.  I am always searching for these. The very old, quite elaborate ones tend to be exorbitantly expensive, and the less old usually done with just one or two colors for the darning. This one, Dutch, c. 1900 or so, for me is just right--wonderfully colorful, and representing a wide variety of techniques, but also humble, and perfectly matter of fact. Love.

15 1/4" x 9 5/8" and in good condition. One could really hand this with either side facing; I believe I have it first with what is technically the back side, with the sewn side of the hem facing, but I am partial to it. It is clear that it was folded in half for some period of time, with toning along that center line and some scatted spotting. Hem stitching is all tight and there are no holes in the cloth; not at all fragile. Me, I'd be inclined to pin the top corners and hang it directly on the wall.