The Scarlet Letter ~ Jane Moore 1820 Reproduction Sampler Pattern

Stitch Count: 300 x 400

A RED BRICK MANSION HOUSE is at the center of this wildly engaging English sampler featuring a small zoo/conservatory/aviary of flora and fauna as interpreted by an exceptionally talented young woman of the early nineteenth century. The verse is common enough on nineteenth-century samplers, unlike the design itself.

Jesus permit thy gracious name to stand As the first efforts of an infants hand And while her fingers on the canvas move Engage her tender heart to seek thy love

Exotic birds, dogs, a magnificent stag, a crouching tiger, and—above all—a HIPPOCAMPUS inhabit Jane Moore’s zoological park. The hippocampus is a mythical creature, sometimes referred to as a sea-horse in English. It swims, it lays eggs. Its origins go back to the myths of the Phoenicians, Etruscans, Picts, Romans, and Greeks. The name has a Greek origin and was first mentioned between 760-710 BC by Homer. Stitches used in this sampler are cross stitch over one, two, and four threads of linen, and counted satin. On 40-count linen, the reproduction will measure approximately 15″x 20″. The sampler is recommended for intermediate level needleworkers.