Brandenburg 1833

In 1833, little CSK from the Brandenburg Marches, a poor rural area around Berlin, had a selection of almost 30 (!) expensive silk colours to design her very finely stitched sampler.

Her sampler is a particularly fine example for the interplay between tradition and modernity:

• A nice selection of alphabets and borders,
• traditional motifs having symbolic nature,
• and motifs of everyday life will be arranged
• with the big colour choice of the Biedermeier period (1815 to 1848).

A simple crowned flower wreath is the cartouche for the initials of her parents.

Meaning of symbols:

• Sky castle: heavenly Jerusalem, God's residence; holy city of Judaism, Christianity and of Islam; representation on many prayer rugs
• Eight pointed star: symbolic for Bethlehem
• Cock: symbolic for Christ, Christ's Resurrection
• Two doves facing each other: concord and peace
• Tree of life: fertility

I thank both of the textile restorers of the Museum of European Cultures in Berlin who often let me see "Brandenburg 1833", inventory number 18 B 209, so that I was able to choose the varied colour shades.