Cloth, Reader's Stand

Object Name:

Cloth, Reader's Stand

Object ID:

1983.002.28

Place of Origin:

North America/Possibly New England

Date:

1800-1840

Description:

Reader's stand cloth or panel. Hand-embroidered colonial revival floral design on light green (orignally blue) satin ground. Flowers and leaves embroidered with two-ply S-twist silk yarns of gold, dark green, light green, beige, and orange. Embroidery stitches include long and short satin, stem, running, and patterned couched bundles of stem stitches. Floral stems are embroidered with a white wool boucle-like Z-twist single yarn arranged in bunches with long floats secured with patterned coaching stitches of flat metal foil and silk floss. Back lining of red wool, edges of front and backing fabric pressed under and top stitched with running stitches of white cotton thread. Embroidery design of a 21" x 16" flowering vine motif at center with a large shaded stylized rose or marigold of different shades of orange, white, beige, and tan, with a white, green, and beige center accented with metallic foil. Symmetrical arranged designs surround the center motif, consisting of a sprig of leaves with budding tops diagonally radiating from each of the four corners with leafy pomegranate (possibly) sprigs spaced in between each corner sprig. Random spacing of metallic foil suggests artistic intent to create reflective highlights of the motif. Visible pencil markings show the pattern was traced or drawn onto the silk. Exposure of pencil marks with stitch holes on center flower and other design elements suggest stitch removal or loss. Some penciled areas were never stitched. Tag found during time of accession reads, "Brocade Strip to be used on Reading Desk in Memorial Chapel at Pine Hill Cemetery at Funeral Services. August 1938," referring to Ricker Memorial Chapel, Pine Hill Cemetery in Dover, NH, where members of the Ffrost and Sawyer families are buried.

Material:

Textile
Satin
Silk
Metal
Wool
Cotton

Dimensions:

W-19 L-43.5 inches

Provenance:

Gift of George F. Sawyer, Durham, NH, and Charles H. Sawyer, Ann Arbor, MI. From the Ffrost Homestead, Durham, NH. Tag attached to item during time of accession reads. "Brocade Strip to be used on Reading Desk in Memorial Chapel at Pine Hill Cemetery at Funeral Services. August 1938," referring to Ricker Memorial Chapel, Pine Hill Cemetery in Dover, NH, where members of the Ffrost and Swayer families are buried.

Credit Line:

Gift of George F. Sawyer and Charles H. Sawyer

People:

Sawyer, George F. (1902-1992), Sawyer, Charles H. (1906-2005)

Subjects:

Embroidery, Funerary Object, Silk, Handwork, Decorations, Flowers