Merklap van linnen. Het borduurwerk heeft een brede rand waarin een zigzag lijn is geborduurd. In de ontstane vakken is een bloem geborduurd. Binnen de ontstane rechthoek zijn bloemen en tekst geborduurd. De tekst bestaat uit twee Engelse versjes: SINCE ALL THE DOWNWARD TRACTS...AND REGULATE OUT WAYS en SINCE NONE CAN DOUBT...BE EV'RY WISH REFRIGN'D. Onderaan staat de tekst: MARY LANE ANNO DOM 1766. Tussen de teksten zijn bloemen en vogels geborduurd en de letters D L S L. 1766

Curator: Hello, welcome. Today, we will be looking at “Merklap van linnen,” a linen sampler created in 1766 by Mary Lane. What are your first impressions? Editor: Well, I'm struck by how intimate it feels. The stitching, the verses… it feels so personal. I'm curious, how do you interpret this piece in its historical context? Curator: This sampler offers a fascinating glimpse into the education and expectations placed upon young women in the 18th century. It served not only as a display of needlework skills, but also as a medium for reinforcing social and religious values. How do you think the verses incorporated speak to those values? Editor: The snippets of religious verses and phrases like "regulate our ways" make me think about the limited agency women had at that time, that they were being taught how to behave and be mindful of religious constraints. Curator: Precisely! This sampler represents the intersection of craft and cultural indoctrination. Think about it: through the act of creation, Mary was internalizing these ideas. And by signing and dating her work, she was also declaring a public affirmation of them. What do you make of the flowers and birds depicted around the verse? Editor: They almost seem to add some softness and humanity. Maybe she wanted to have a voice through her choice of images. I like thinking of her embedding herself in the narrative in small, quiet ways. Curator: Exactly. It pushes us to think critically about the sampler as more than just a decorative piece. It's a document that encapsulates history, class, identity, and, perhaps, even a subtle form of personal expression. Editor: I’ll never look at embroidery the same way again. This really helps me see how everyday objects can contain so much cultural history.