Mourning Sampler

Mourning samplers were a common way for families of the early 1800s to demonstrate their grief and to preserve an important piece of family history. This sampler of painted and needlepointed silk was made by Lucretia Carew (b. 1778) of Norwich, Connecticut, in memory of her sister, Lucy Carew Tillinghast (1783-1800) and her nephew, Joseph Elisha (b. and d. 1800). Carew has decorated her composition with all of the typical symbols of mourning pictures, including a weeping willow, an urn, and a preponderance of black mourning clothing. In addition to identifiable buildings and grounds from the area, the figures appear to be actual likenesses of Lucretia and surviving family members. The clothing worn by the mourners is literally fashioned from silk down to the minutest detail - including a hemmed handkerchief held by Mrs. Carew and marked with her initials - and then appliqued to the silk ground.