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Lot Essay
This needlework comes from the pinnacle of Boston luxury and taste of the elite during the colonial era. Coats of arms, which were popular in England, reflect the luxurious style of the rising merchant class of 18th century Boston. The sumptuous taste and wealth of the Salter family is announced with luxurious gold and silver thread as well as the investment in education necessary to acquire such skills. Mary Salter (1726-1755), daughter of William Salter (1696-1753) and Jerusha Bryan (1697-1769) created this large and impressive coat of arms for her family; a compilation of her father's and mother's family crests. Charles Knowles Bolton, the author of Bolton's American Armory: A record of coats of arms which have been in use within the present bounds of the United States, dates this needlework C. 1742-1748, prior to her marriage to Henry Quincy (1727-1780) in 1749. The Qunicy's were a prestigious family in Boston and Henry's sister Dorothy married John Hancock.
Alice Morse Earle applauds Mary Salter's work in Home Life in Colonial Day: "In the hands of a [skillful] worker, the sampler might become a thing of beauty and historical interest; and the stitches learned and [practiced] on it might be used on more ambitious pieces of work, which often took the shape of the family coat of arms. Such was the work of Mary Salter (Mrs. Henry Quincy), who was born in 1726, and died in 1755. It is the arms of Salter and Bryan party per pale upon a shield. Rich in embossed work in gold and silver thread, it is a beautiful testimonial to the deft and proficient hand of the young needlewoman who embroidered it" (p. 268). The quality and value of this work which was described as "the most elaborate family relic of this period" (Swan, p. 177) remained with the Quincy family and their house for many generations. While time has created some condition issues and this work may have been remounted since Susan Swan described the work it remains a beautiful and historic document and family heirloom. For related examples see Betty Ring, Girlhood Embroidery: American Samplers & Pictorial Needlework 1650-1850, vol. I, (New York,1993) fig. 62, p. 64 (Additional information provided by Carol and Stephen Huber).
Alice Morse Earle applauds Mary Salter's work in Home Life in Colonial Day: "In the hands of a [skillful] worker, the sampler might become a thing of beauty and historical interest; and the stitches learned and [practiced] on it might be used on more ambitious pieces of work, which often took the shape of the family coat of arms. Such was the work of Mary Salter (Mrs. Henry Quincy), who was born in 1726, and died in 1755. It is the arms of Salter and Bryan party per pale upon a shield. Rich in embossed work in gold and silver thread, it is a beautiful testimonial to the deft and proficient hand of the young needlewoman who embroidered it" (p. 268). The quality and value of this work which was described as "the most elaborate family relic of this period" (Swan, p. 177) remained with the Quincy family and their house for many generations. While time has created some condition issues and this work may have been remounted since Susan Swan described the work it remains a beautiful and historic document and family heirloom. For related examples see Betty Ring, Girlhood Embroidery: American Samplers & Pictorial Needlework 1650-1850, vol. I, (New York,1993) fig. 62, p. 64 (Additional information provided by Carol and Stephen Huber).