FINE NEEDLEWORK SAMPLER: THE PEACEABLE KINGDOM, MARIA GROTZ, PROBABLY PHILADELPHIA, DATED 1789

Signed on lower register: MARIA GROTZS WORK 1789.

Israel Sack, Inc., New York.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, The University of Pennsylvania Hospital Antiques Show, April 1979;
Winterthur, Delaware, Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, This Work in Hand: Philadelphia Needlework from the 18th Century, August 31, 2002-January 12, 2003.

Betty Ring, Girlhood Embroidery: American Samplers & Pictorial Needlework, 1650-1850, Volume II (New York: A.A. Knopf, 1993), illus. p.360.

The linen ground has some holes and tears. Discolored overall. Some losses in silk embroidery. The ribbon edge is frayed and faded. Condition consistent with age and use,
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.

It has been suggested that Maria Grotz may have been a member of the Gratz family of Philadelphia – who settled in Philadelphia in 1754 and were successful merchants and traders, and signers of the Non-Importation Act prior to the American Revolutionary War. Betty Ring, wrote that Mary may have been the daughter of George Grotz, a breeches maker at 7 North Fourth Street, Philadelphia, in 1791.¹

¹ Betty Ring, Girlhood Embroidery: American Samplers & Pictorial Needlework, 1650-1850, vol. II (New York: A.A. Knopf, 1993), p.360, illus. 383.