Mary Mansfield, Essex County, Massachusetts, c. 1810

By mid 18^th Century, towns in Essex County, Massachusetts, such as Salem, Marblehead, Danvers, Beverly, and Lynn, as well as Newbury, Newburyport and Haverhill were home to a large number of female academies that produced some of the most exciting groups of American embroideries extant.

One distinguishing characteristic from this body of work, called the "Salem Style", is the use of crinkled silk floss, worked in uncouched satin stiches of exceptional length, often in diagonal directions. This luxurious floss came into this area as a consequence of trade with China and was used to great effect by schoolmistresses in Essex County. The resulting needlework was of uncommon richness and luster. It is believed that this technique and style originated in Salem and was carried on over a period of time by many teachers in Essex County. Wide borders with sawtooth ribs are another characteristic of this area.

This sampler, worked by Mary Mansfield is most certainly from that body of work. Her composition features a vase of flowers with trailing vines and flowers spilling across the bottom of the sampler, while a wide border of exceptional flowers encircles the rest of the piece. The outer sawtooth, drawn and cutwork border is also exceptional in its accomplishment. Besides three alphabets and a numeric progression, the sampler contains the following verse: