Sampler

This early American schoolgirl needlework features Dresden work, a unique lace technique created by pulling threads to form intricate openings in the fabric, enhanced with decorative embroidery. This style was produced exclusively in the Philadelphia area during the 18th century. Surviving examples are extremely rare, with some pieces entirely displaying whitework designs, such as large baskets of flowers.

While the schools that taught these techniques remain unidentified, important connections have been found among various examples. This sampler is closely related to one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, worked in the same year by a young woman named Mary Jones. It is likely that she was a sister or cousin of the maker, both of whom may have studied with the same teacher, highlighting the collaborative nature of early American needlework education.