Pattern, Needlework

Object Name:

Pattern, Needlework

Object ID:

1980.502.01 a-d

Description:

Pattern, embroidery, pencil on paper.
a. Pencil and paper pattern. Fanciful floral design drawn on thin tracing paper, slightly brown in color. Paper fairly translucent. Vertical pencil line about 4.5" from left side, going from top to bottom. Fanciful floral design extending from top to bottom. Thick stem near bottom with several long sweeping curves before running off left edge of paper near top. Lots of thin stems curved around to support different-size leaves, blossoms, and possible fruit. Portions of design run off paper to left and right side. Thick stem running off right side of paper about 22" from bottom. Thick stem arc with center of arc running off paper on right side about 24" from top. On both sides, segments of more intricate leaf designs with only a portion on this paper. Some start on this paper and run off and some appear from the sides. Two orange-colored pencil "X"s on design near bottom and near center. Horizontal orange line just above center. Near center, six, slightly-angled, short lines across vertical straight line. From back can be seen a number of white florid lines due to pressure of pencil being applied to paper, which causes small fractures in paper itself. At very top left corner in pencil script: "left of center".
b. Pencil and paper design. Fanciful floral design on relatively translucent tracing paper, light tan in color. Vertical pencil guideline near center of paper, not continuous but extends from top to bottom edge. Design matches some of elements in c. General pattern very similar with large, fanciful flowers and plants. Some heavier stems in this portion. Some, single-line stems supporting disparate leaves and blossoms. Orange, horizontal pencil line, lightly-drawn just above center. Some purple pencil or possibly crayon lines lightly-drawn near center. Two, fairly parallel purple lines that try to cut off thick stem. Script pencil word "center" appears twice near top of sheet, along center line, once near center along line. In lower right corner about foot up from bottom edge: "deer". White lines due to heavy pressure of pencil creating that effect on paper on back of sheet. In center about third of way up, number of white lines in paper of designs not associated with the black pencil design.
c. Pencil and paper design. Drawn on relatively translucent tracing paper, tan in color. Vertically-oriented, fanciful floral design. Heavy, very curved, possible root structures near bottom. Two, narrow, vertical, fanciful, slender plants that extend off one root. Multiple, short, upward-curved stems that become shorter near top. Rest of design larger in scale with lots of curving-freely stems and support of many types of leaves and blossoms. May be small scattering of round fruit-like bodies. Disparate leaves on some of the stems. Vertical reference line along right side, not continuous, 1.25" from right edge. Upper right corner of sheet, in pencil script "border right." Third of way down, couple of orange, light pencil lines. Just below center, in purple pencil script: "squirrel". About foot up from bottom, some horizontal purple pencil lines.
d. Fanciful floral pattern. Long, thick, central vine that emanates from fanciful blossom with curlycue shapes, from one end to other. Vine with mixture of blossoms, small leaves, curleycues. May join up with another sheet. Blank border on one long edge, between 2" to 4" wide. Blank border probably bottom edge based on idea plants grow up. With the blank border as bottom edge, right-hand edge pattern goes all way to edge. At left side, pattern stops ~ 2" from end. Small portions of designs also drawn on backside of paper.

Material:

Paper

Provenance:

Drawn from a mid-18th-century Massachusetts crewelwork bed curtain. Illustrated in "Exhibition of Crewel Work Found in New England at Gore Palace."

Credit Line:

New Hampshire Historical Society Collection