Rare Embroidered and Painted Silk Mourning PIcture, Mehitable Tucker, Mary Balch's School, Providence, Rhode Island

Worked in silk and chenille and paint on a silk ground; inscribed on the glass (replaced): Mehitable Tucker Aged 15 years.

Channing Hare, a sale at Sotheby's, sale number 3134, lot 34, December 11, 1970;

Bihler & Coger Antiques, Ashley Falls, Massachusetts

American Needlework Treasures: Samplers and Silk Embroideries from the Collection of Betty Ring at the Museum of American Folk Art (p. 92, fig. 146); Let Virtue Be a Guide to Thee: Needlework in the Education of Rhode Island Women, 1730-1830 (p. 178, fig. 82)

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.

The glass is a replica of the original. This memorial, with its large, exquisitely marbleized monument and flawlessly embroidered lettering, is typical of pieces worked at Mary Balch's school from about 1806 until the 1820s. Mehitable Tucker (c. 1802-1832) was the daughter of Abraham Tucker (d. c.1803) and Rebecca Hastings of Providence. She married Edward Thurber (c. 1788-1840), a
mariner; they had two children.