Casgliadau Arlein

LINEN, embroidered with coloured silks in cross stitch. At the top in three horizontal rows, are the letters of the alphabet, each letter in duplicate; numerals to 9, each figure in duplicate, and by tens to 100, thence 1000, 10000. In the centre is a house surrounded by animal, bird and conventional floral designs, two men in costume of about 1600 bearing a ?bunch of grapes suspended from a bar between them, Adam and Eve (marked with a and e), clothed in late 17th century costume, the Tree of Knowledge and Serpent, Above the house, within a floral compartment flanked by crowned cherubs, is the inscription: "MB / 1840". There is a border of a wavy stem with blossoms.

Note: The human figures should be compared with those on two other samplers (accession numbers: 20.254.38 & 20.254.36)

Source: Guide to the Collection of Samplers & Embroideries (Cardiff: National Museum of Wales, 1939) by F.G. Payne.