Large Exceptional American Early 19th c Sampler by Ruth C. Risbrough of Boston For Sale

A needlework masterpiece worked during the first quarter of the 19th century American by Ruth C. Risbrough in Boston at the age of nine years.

Ruth stitched her sampler in fine silk threads on a light linen ground with rows of alphabets and a lovely floral horizontal border over a pious verse entitled “The Rose”. The verse is embellished with fruiting vines and a raised work bowknot and reads:

The Rose

So frail is the youth and beauty of men

Tho they bloom and look gay like the rose

For all our fond care to preserve them is vain

Time kills them as fast as he goes.

Then I’ll not be proud of my youth or my beauty

Since both of them wither and fade

But gain a good name by performing my duty

This will scent like a rose when I’m dead.

There is a four-sided inner border worked in blue and spectacular wide vining floral border surrounding the entire piece. Ruth added flowers to either side of her signature line and a Quaker star in each of the upper corners.

The sampler is impressively large in size. It is housed beneath museum-quality conservation glass in a fine appropriate modern frame. The backing is acid-free.

Condition is close to pristine. There is no discoloration or staining. Colors are bright and varied. Contrast is excellent. There are no holes or other losses. The only apology is a few missing-lost black threads in the first line of the verse. The only evidence that this was a very young needlewoman (9 years old) is the misjudgment on the first line of the second stanza where Ruth could not quite fit the last word “beauty” on the line.

The signature lines state “Ruth C. Risbrough / Aged 9 years Boston 1 …” The completion date may have been removed in order to make it impossible to determine Ruth’s age as an adult. This was a common practice.

Risbrough is not a common name and is variously spelled Risbrough, Riseborough, Risborough, etc. Although there is a fair amount of information on the Risbrough family in America, Ruth C. Risbrough has not been positively identified. She is possibly the daughter of John Risbrough who was married to Nancy Green on May 29, 1796 in Boston.

An exceptionally fine and rare American sampler … outstanding condition, impressive size and naming the city of Boston!