A
Acorns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fertility, life; used in borders as a
decorative element; associated with exiled
Stuart family in England
Adam/Eve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Good/Evil
Angel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Messenger of God
Animals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .An allegory of virtues and vices
Apple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Love/Fertility
B
Basket of flowers. . . . . . . . . . .Friendship and love
Basket of fruit . . . . . . . . . . . Fertility, wealth, health and happiness
Bee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hope
Bell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Music, joyous occasion
Birds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Spirits of the air; symbol of the soul in
ancient Egypt, which carried over into
Christianity.
Bird carrying a letter . . . . . . . .A declaration of love
Birds on floral branches. . . . . . . Love of nature
Bows (ribbons) . . . . . . . . . . . .A secret beau/love
Butterfly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Liberation, resurrection, a new beginning
Butterfly and Moth . . . . . . . . . .Inconstancy, immorality, joy, playfulness and pleasure
C
Carnation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . True and passionate love; poverty and love
Cat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Idleness
Chairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Diligence, hospitality and domesticity
Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Existence of God on earth
Cherry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fruit of paradise, also the departed
Cherry tree branch . . . . . . . . . .Fertility, wealth, health and happiness
Cock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Watchfulness and penitence
Crab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The unconscious
Cross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Faith in Christ, also world's axis
Cross, heart, anchor . . . . . . . . .Christian symbols, faith, love, hope
Crown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eternity (German), monarchy (British),
sovereignty (divine and earthly); fidelity
(crowns and coronets, denoting ranks of the
nobility appeared on marked linen)
Crowned heart . . . . . . . . . . . . Love
D
Daisy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Humility; faithlessness (see Hamlet,
Ophelia's mad scene, which is full of
flowers -- she gives one to Hamlet's mother
who married a second husband one month
after her first husband's death)
Dog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fidelity and watchfulness
Dove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Charity, mercy and peace; love associated
with Venus/Aphrodite, goddess of love,
because she had a chariot drawn by doves
Duck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Marital Fidelity
E
Eagle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . National emblem of America; appears almost
exclusively on American samplers
F
Falcon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pride/Nobility
Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Romance, flirtation
Flowers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nature
Flowers (one full flower, one bud) . .Mother and child
Forget-me-nots . . . . . . . . . . . .Loyalty and friendship
Fruit tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The apple was the ancient symbol of love
and fertility; Armenian samplers depict
seven apples representing the seven deadly
sins
H
Hare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Timidity
Harp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Purity/Music
Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Love; divine love
Heart with key . . . . . . . . . . . .Someone who has the key to one's heart
Heart pierced with arrow . . . . . . .Love conquers all
Heart with cross and anchor . . . . . Faith (cross), Hope (anchor) and Love
(heart)
Honeysuckle . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enduring faith; traditionally connected
with averting the evil eye; used in borders
as a decorative element
Horn of plenty. . . . . . . . . . . . Health, generosity, high yield, fertility
Horse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fertility
Horseshoe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Good fortune
Hour glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Passing of time
House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Often the home of the embroiderer, or, if
the sampler was sewn by a young person, the
school
K
Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . St. Peter, fidelity
L
Lily . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Purity, chastity; innocence
Lion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Strength, steadfastness, courage and hope
M
Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Often depicted with a bird perched on his
hand; the male figure symbolizes marital
fidelity
Man and Woman . . . . . . . . . . . . Together, often holding a garland, the two
figures symbolize marriage
Marigold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rays of light
O
Oak leaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Associated with exiled Stuart family in
England
Octagon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nature
Olive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peace and goodwill
Owl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wisdom and learning; also used as a symbol
for the devil
P
Paired birds . . . . . . . . . . . . .Eternal life, descended from a motif of
"two doves on the holy mountain"
Pansy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Good thoughts; thinking of you
Parrot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Talkativeness and gossip
Peacock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ostentation, vanity, luxury; eternal life
(because their flesh was thought not to
decay)
Pelican . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Piety, and signifies death and resurrection
Pineapple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hospitality. The sailors on the East Coast
would put pineapples in their windows
to signal their return home.
Plant patterns . . . . . . . . . . . .Christian virtues
Pomegranate . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hope of eternal life
R
Rabbit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gentleness
Ribbons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A secret beau/love
Ring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Union
Roses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Love and beauty, sacred to Venus in
pre-Christian times, it later became a
symbol for the Virgin Mary; pagan symbol
for love
S
Saint Margaret (often with dragon) . .Patron Saint of childbirth
Scales and sword . . . . . . . . . . .Justice
Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Venus/goddess of love, good fortune
Ship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hope, or soul's voyage to a safe haven;
also a marriage emblem
Spies of Canaan or Grape bearers . . .These two figures represent Joshua and
Caleb, spies sent by Moses into Canaan;
they also symbolize the Jews and Gentiles;
the hanging grapes refer to Christ
Spinning monkey . . . . . . . . . . . Folly, laziness, lechery and vanity; in
Dutch samplers, a symbol of the devil
Square . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nature
Squirrel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mischief
Stag or Hart . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gentleness and pride
Star . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bravery and patriotism; eight-pointed star
is a symbol of Bethlehem; six-pointed star
is a Jewish
Strawberry . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A perfect fruit (because there's no rind or
pit to throw away); perfect righteousness;
used in borders for a decorative element;
associated with Christ
Strawberry Blossom . . .. . . . . . . Purity, foresight
Swan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bird of love; also represents a good death
T
Thistle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scottish royalty/ancestry, protection
Three carnations . . . . . . . . . . .3 nails of Jesus
Tree of Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . Most common motif, sometimes flanked by
Adam and Eve or by animals and birds
Tulip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Appears mostly on Dutch samplers as a
symbol of perfect love; Pennsylvania Dutch
samplers as a symbol of the Holy Trinity
V
Vase of carnations . . . . . . . . . .Luck
Violet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Humility, innocence, modesty
W
Weeping willow . . . . . . . . . . . .Sorrow and dejection of the bereaved and
refers particularly to the early death of
Princess Charlotte, the only child of
George IV
Wild Pansy or Trinity Violet . . . . .These were favourites of Queen Elizabeth of
England
Windmill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Found mainly on Dutch samplers; often shown
in country scenes together with livestock
Woman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frequently seen holding a palm branch, the
female figure is a symbol of life
Wreath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Eternity
Wreath of roses . . . . . . . . . . . True friendship and love
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