FINE AND RARE NEEDLEWORK SAMPLER, MARY HAMMONDS, MARY BALCH'S SCHOOL, PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, 1796

Worked in a variety of silk stitches on a linen ground in the charecteristic style of Mary Balch's school, signed Mary Hammon's work, Providence, April.

Theodore H. Kapnek, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania;
Sotheby Parke-Bernet, New York, Theodore H. Kapnek Sale, January 31, 1981, sale 4531, lot 46.

Somewhat faded and the linen has darkened. In good condition overall.
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.

As Betty Ring states in her seminal work, Girlhood Embroidery, Vol. 1, sampler's from Mary Balch's school in Providence were the first American embroideries to receive wide recognition as a distinctive group made from a specific school. They continue to be the most renowned samplers made under an identified instructress. The present example, acquired by the Schorsch's in 1981 at the sale of Theodore H. Kapnek, Jr. is closely related to a sampler worked by Mary Greeman at Mary Balch's School with its double-tiered on figures and animals. See Betty Ring, Girlhood Embroidery: American Samplers & Pictorial Needlework, 1650-1850, vol. I (New York: A.A. Knopf, 1993), p. 181, fig. 206.