Rare Embroidered and Painted Silk Mourning Picture: In Memory of Henry S. Wolcott, probably Boston, dated 1808

Worked in silk and paint on silk; inscribed on glass wrought by Elizabeth Wolcott, 1808.



Retains original eglomise mat; reproduction frame. Overall condition very good.

Sotheby's, The Garbisch Collection, Part II, sale number 3637, lot 145, May 8-9, 1974.

American Needlework Treasures: Samplers and Silk Embroideries from the Collection of Betty Ring at the Museum of American Folk Art (p. 64, fig. 103)

In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

A related embroidery was worked by thirteen-year-old Anne Kuhn, c. 1810 (see ANTIQUES, March 1986, p. 600). Elizabeth Wolcott (1780-1832) was the daughter of Edward Kitchen Wolcott (1754-1832) and Hannah Sewall of Brookline. She was twenty-eight years old when she dedicated this mourning piece to her brother, Henry S. Wolcott (1782-1805), and on December 7, 1809, she married John F. Barber of Boston. 

Her father donated land to the Congregational Church for a parsonage and is still being used for that purpose today. (Additional information provided by Carol and Stephen Huber).