A rare Regency needlework map sampler of Ireland, worked in coloured silk threads on a silk ground and signed and dated by the maker, “Emma Trimmer, Brighton, 1820.”
The sampler depicts Ireland divided into its four historic provinces of Leinster, Munster, Ulster and Connaught, with county boundaries, principal towns and geographical features rendered in exceptionally fine stitched lettering. Delicately worked in coloured silks and enclosed within a decorative geometric border, the design incorporates a distinctive harp-shaped cartouche adorned with shamrocks, an enduring symbol of Ireland and a celebrated feature of this important cartographic design.
Worked on a silk ground rather than the more commonly encountered linen, the sampler displays an impressive level of refinement and technical accomplishment. The minute stitched lettering and careful delineation of the counties demonstrate remarkable precision and patience, particularly for such a young maker.
The design originated with Mary White (née Jacob, 1769–1847), a member of a prominent Waterford Quaker family and an accomplished needleworker. White’s celebrated map of Ireland, first worked in 1814, was subsequently published by the renowned London mapmaker R. H. Laurie of Fleet Street. The publication of White’s design reflects both its originality and educational significance and secured its place among the most important Irish cartographic sampler designs of the early nineteenth century.
Research strongly suggests that the maker was Elizabeth Emma Trimmer (1807–1863), a member of a Quaker family from Guildford, Surrey. Recorded in the Quaker birth registers as the daughter of William and Elizabeth Trimmer, she would have been approximately thirteen years of age when this sampler was completed. The Brighton inscription provides a fascinating glimpse into the education of a young Quaker girl during the Regency period, reflecting the Society of Friends’ emphasis upon geography, learning and practical accomplishment.
Signed, dated and attributable examples of early nineteenth-century map samplers are increasingly scarce. Combining important cartographic interest, Quaker educational history and identified authorship, this is an outstanding example of Regency needlework and a particularly desirable survivor of one of the most celebrated Irish map sampler designs of the period.
Dimensions: 48.5 cm x 44.5 cm.
Condition: The silk embroidery and silk ground remain in remarkably good condition, retaining strong colour and exceptionally fine stitched detail throughout, including the county names, towns and geographical lettering. Minor discolouration to areas of the ground together with occasional loose threads. The mount displays foxing and age-related discolouration. The frame has knocks and scratches commensurate with age and use and shows an old repaired crack.
