Mary Hornsby
1798

An accomplished and beautiful sampler composed of four conventional and precisely worked cross shaped darns of different woven designs. The deliberately contrasting coloured silks chosen to show clearly the intricate work against the fine gauze or tiffany ground fabric.
The centre of the sampler displays a shaded green mound with a large decorated blue chinoiserie vase overflowing with assorted flowers, which include gracefully arched stems of honeysuckle and rosebuds. This composition draws the eye to the centre of the sampler where each individual leaf and petal is delicately embroidered using various darning techniques.