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Martha Ann Mason

Sampler

Maker

Martha Ann Mason (American, b. 1811)

Title

Sampler

Year

1821

Medium

  • Linen ground with silk embroidery

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

  • Linen ground with silk embroidery

Materials

silk, linen

Dimensions

43.2 x 40.6 cm (17 x 16 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Central motif: Uppercase alphabet; "Wrought by Martha Ann Mason Feb. 1821 aged 10 years"; uppercase script alphabet, lowercase alphabet; Upper left corner: "I sigh not for beauty, nor/languish for wealth/But grant me kind/providence/virtue and/health." Upper right corner: "When richer than Queens/and as happy as they,/My days shall pass/sweetly and/swiftly/away." Lower left corner: "Expect not/perfect hap/piness below,/Nor heavenly/plants on earth's/lowly soil to grow." Lower right corner: "Become/none hap/py by their/outward a[?]/All have their port/ion of allotted care."

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Caroline A. Mason, Sara J. Mason, and Mrs. Florence N. Gager

Object Number

31.363

Type

  • Textiles

Exhibition History

These Golden Arts
Needlework by Women, 1688-1888
Jun 18, 1993 – Aug 14, 1993

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Martha Ann Mason (American, b. 1811)
Sampler, 1821
Linen ground with silk embroidery
43.2 x 40.6 cm (17 x 16 inches)
Gift of Caroline A. Mason, Sara J. Mason, and Mrs. Florence N. Gager 31.363

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Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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