Modern Folk Embroidery - AKGIT 1833: A Vierlande Sampler - Booklet Chart

Last year I got the opportunity of acquiring a unique sampler from 1833. The original sampler has a stitched surface of about 43 by 43 cm, which was worked over 2 threads on a 50-count linen. I can honestly say that it is the most beautiful sampler in my collection.

Through the sampler’s style, we know it was worked in 1833 in the Vierlande region of northern Germany, just southeast of the city of Hamburg. Originally, Vierlande consisted of several islands in the river Elbe. It now includes the communities of Curslack, Kirchwerder, Neuengamme and Altengamme.

Samplers from the late 18th and first half of the 19th century were often worked in black silk or wool - with sometimes a tiny splash of colour. They display mainly large ornamental trees, circular medallions and diamond motifs, with scatterings of mini circular medallions, distinct decorative letters and sometimes crowns and border motifs. All of these borders, letters and motifs were useful when working on decorative bed linens, cushions and as part of their traditional dress. The back of this booklet gives an example of the typical costume from the region worn by farmers’ wives.

AKGIT worked all these elements on her sampler. At the top are four borders. Underneath we find the start of an alphabet. Each large decorative letter has a unique crown. The letters then continue along the sampler’s right side; after that, letters are scattered all over the sampler.

However, this sampler’s focal point are the five magnificent trees of life. These large flower pots are such a joy to stitch - they’re perfectly symmetrical, and once you start stitching them, you’ll keep discovering little elements, such as hidden birds and flowers, that you might not have noticed the first time.

But who was AKGIT? Sadly, I’ve not found a definitive answer. Some samplers show strange initials - where names were broken up in syllables, but these weren’t always logical. I looked for all girls born starting with an A and matching the other letters, and Alke (or Alcke) Gladiator is the only name that matches it. Unfortunately, two girls with that name were born a year apart: one in 1824, the other in 1823. Both girls were born in Kirchwerder and were probably cousins. Maybe one day, we’ll discover something that might identify the maker with certainty.

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