This very exuberant needlework sampler, with the classical theme of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden was worked by Margaret Goodfellow when she was 12 years of age in 1836. The symmetry is pleasing to the eye and presents an appealing balance.  It is almost "mirror image" in concept, yet takes flight with the flock of birds and the single dog that is a departure from this rigid format. It contains an uppercase alphabet as well as a numerical progression, followed by a verse that reads:

Details and pictorial motifs crowd the canvas leaving almost no empty space, yet it is worked with such precision that all of the elements can be appreciated individually. Flocks of birds, two large butterflies, potted plants, flying angels, baskets of flowers, a crown, (perhaps this is the one she refers to), one little dog, and two backward looking birds with very long tails are among the many interesting motifs. Finally, the central theme of the sampler is revealed on the bottom third of the piece in her depiction of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, complete with the serpent wrapped around a tree laden with apples.

The whole is tied together with the ever-popular strawberry border which nicely frames the piece. She uses a wide variety of colored floss to accomplish her task, thus making this endeavor a visual delight.  Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition and conservation mounted into a period oak frame. Size (sight) is 12-1/2" wide x 19" high.
 
R4J100081
0053