Scottish samplers often exhibit specific elements of design, including richly illuminated letters, the use of bold, primary colours, peacock motifs, peculiar shaded mounds upon which sit urns, or Adams and Eves, or groups of odd little rabbits stacked up or all in a row, and many pairs of initials of family members.

This Scottish samplers has them all, including a variation on the first six lines of an anonymous rhymed version of the Ten Commandments, written around 1731:

1 Have thou no other gods but me
2 Unto no Image bow the knee
3 Take not the name of god in vain
4 Do noot the Sabbath day prophane
5 Honour thy father and Mother too
6 And see that thou no Murder do 

Origin and date: Scottish 1744

Linen count and finished size: 35-count, 19-1/2"x12-1/2" - 40-count dyed 17"x11" please specify. Kit contains fabric, silk or cotton thread, needle and instructions.

Stitches: Cross, double running, Queen, trellis, eyelet, and counted satin. The wings of the dragonfly held by the 'boxer" in the lower left corner are worked with silver bullion.

Source: Private collection

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