Wonderful 1794 Silk on Silk memorial embroidery--a memorial to J. Wainwright, aged 12 years. Wonderful imagery including a thistle plant (which symbolized the shortness of life), a willow, spring flowers, and an anchor. There is also a tiny turtle in the right bottom corner! Wonderful ombre stitching at bottom suggests water and a grassy bank. Silk is in near perfect condition, which is unusual for a piece this age. Such memorial embroideries were often completed in private boarding schools and academies. The student stitched a design drawn by a teacher or artist who specifically specialized in these designs. The watercolor faces, arms, and hands would have been completed by the teacher or artist.
