Pattern, Needlework

Object Name:

Pattern, Needlework

Object ID:

1980.502.10 a-c

Description:

Three embroidery patterns. Pricked paper with scrolls and squirrel designs.

A. Ink and pencil, paper pounce pattern. Pattern drawn in pencil on several different areas on sheet with different thickness of pencil lines. Some design dark and bold, some very fine lines with pencil. Pattern transferred to substrate by perforating paper along pencil lines with black ink pen. Design appears to be portion of fanciful flower decoration. Stems, leaves, and petals, and possible fruit, fairly large in scale and also in thickness of pencil lines. Upper left corner, another fanciful flower group, not as heavily-drawn, seeming to float without connection to stem. Lower portion, a couple small animals and floral group in light pencil impression. At bottom, some curved lines to indicate perhaps earth. Some smaller leaf clusters, lower right corner. Above that are larger and bolder, more fanciful flowers, leaves, and fruits. At bottom, nearest center, squirrel-like animal sitting on ground, facing right, tail curved up behind it and slightly to right. In lower left corner, rabbit-like animal, facing right with head turned to left, seeming to be standing on ground. Lower left, behind rabbit, small fanciful cluster of leaves and flower or two. Upper left corner, fanciful flower and petal combination, not directly connected to rest of design.

B. Pencil and ink, paper pounce pattern. Design done in pencil on very thin, reasonably translucent, tissue paper. Segment of fanciful flower design. Segments of blossoms, leaves, and stems. Pencil pattern pounced onto some substrate below by using pointed ink pen that perforated the paper, transferring design onto recipient object. No powder used. In corner near accession number, quite a few perforations are unrelated to design.

C. Pencil, ink, paper pounce pattern. Design drawn on thin, somewhat translucent gray tracing paper. Fairly brittle paper. Pattern of fanciful, perhaps tree, along left edge with unusually curved branches, curling around. Curvaceous tendrils, fanciful leaves with curves in them. Fanciful blossoms and fruits. At bottom, several arcs to create land mass. From it, some plant materials growing upward, similar to other plants in design. Most of design done in fairly heavy pencil. Adjacent to tree trunk at bottom, lightly-drawn squirrel-like animal, sitting up with front paws up on plant material. Faces left with tail curling up behind it. Some acorn-like nuts adjacent to it. In upper portion, some areas colored in slightly with pencil or colored ink. Some purple pencil in a couple of small areas. Some ink spots along left edge and a couple of smears upper right corner. Some pink smears back of sheet near top and right edges. Some white lines on back of sheet due to heavy pencil marking on front, partially shattering the paper.

Material:

Paper

Credit Line:

New Hampshire Historical Society Collection