American Furniture, Decorative Art & Folk Art

A Stitch of History

By Sara Putterman

NEW YORK – Pictures with hybrid animals, caterpillars with human faces and enormous strawberries that dwarf the people...no, this is not a Surrealist painting but rather a 17th-century needlework. “Samplers” are often associated with the aesthetic of one’s grandmother, but needlework pictures are fascinating views into the psyches and imaginations of the young girls who used embroidery as a creative outlet. The Schorsch Collection, which will be sold without reserve on January 20th-22nd in New York, contains an extraordinary array of professional and amateur caskets, purses, shoes and pictures. Click ahead to see a sample and learn about these incredibly detailed works of art. 


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