Elizabeth Colton

An interesting and visually compelling sampler, this illustrates the Old Testament story of Pharoah's daughter, Thermouthis, finding the infant Moses in a basket in the bullrushes. While many other Biblical narratives were popular with samplermakers, this depiction is rarely found. We particularly like the stance and expressive face of Thermouthis – her fingers outstretched on raised arms and a look of surprise and concern on her face. 

There are four other unusual elements on the sampler and these are solidly stitched. The lowermost one, a scalloped hillock worked in various shades of green, has its origins in early 18th century needlework. Other motifs, such as the pair of angels at the top, strawberries, birds on branches, patterned urns with flowers, soaring birds and tiny dogs flanking the hillock, are more typical of those found on English samplers. The composition of the border is more complex than we generally see and it frames the sampler well.

Worked in silk on wool and in excellent condition, the sampler has been conservation mounted and is in a period gold leaf frame.