Lot 592
  • 592

Fine Silk Embroidered Mourning Picture: In Memory of Mr. John White, Salome Hobart, Mary Balch's School, Providence, Rhode Island, dated 1803

Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 USD
bidding is closed

Description

  • Height 20 1/2 in. by width 20 1/2.
Worked in silk and hair on a silk ground; signed wrought by Salome Hobart, 1803. Original glass and frame.

Provenance

Schindler's Antiques, Charleston, South Carolina, December 1, 1970.

Exhibited

American Needlework Treasures: Samplers and Embroideries from the Collection of Betty Ring at the Museum of American Folk Art (p. 91, fig. 145)

Condition

Discoloration to the silk; some fading.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

This and Abby Dean's memorial are unusual for having a lustrous embroidered sky, not yet known on other pieces from Mary Balch's school. The fully embroidered figure with real hair was inspired by a Washington memorial engraving published by Pemberand Luzarder in Philadelphia in 1800. Salome Hobart (c. 1783-1861) was the daughter of Colonel Aaron Hobart (1729-1808) and his second wife, Thankful White Adams (1747-1822) of Abington, Massachusetts. She married Marcus Alden (1782-1848) of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, and died in Stamford, Connecticut.

Salome Hobart married New York City music teacher Marcus Alden.  They lived in New York and had two children. (Additional information provided by Carol and Stephen Huber).