Gorgeous 1772 (!) Dutch Darning Sampler with Needlepoint Name and Date, Framed as Found cast bronze I find it really a

I find it really a striking image

with the most notable  chips on one side of one handle

Hard to get scale from photos but it feels substantial in size

6" long overall

Gorgeous 1772 (!) Dutch Darning Sampler with Needlepoint Name and Date, Framed as Found cast bronze I find it really aGreat luck and pure joy to find this one this week on a swing through some favorite shops in New Hampshire. If there is one absolute favorite thing I've discovered the existence of over the last number of years dealing antiques it is darning samplers to my eye just the most visually exquisite things in addition to embodying what seems now like just unfathomable skill and labor. And the most exquisite and precious examples are the early ones, this one