Sampler 1661 - 1663

This needlework sampler, made by Margret Barber, presents a collection of motifs stitched onto linen. Observe the alphabets and bands of geometric patterns, common in such works intended to teach young women needlework and literacy. These motifs carry echoes of the past, a lineage of symbols passed through generations. Consider the floral motifs, for instance. Though simple here, they speak to a tradition of floral representation stretching back to ancient times. We see similar stylized flowers adorning Minoan frescoes, symbols of life, fertility, and beauty. Their recurrence underscores a collective memory, an archetypal connection to nature's bounty. The sampler, in its geometric structure, mirrors the order humans seek to impose upon the world. This impulse, to classify and arrange, is a deep-seated psychological need—a bulwark against chaos. It reappears across cultures, from the grid-like layouts of ancient Roman cities to the structured narratives of epic poems. The sampler, then, becomes a microcosm of this universal drive, a testament to our enduring quest for meaning and order.