Victorian 1846 Mourning Embroidery for Mrs. Mary A. Wood

Following the death of America's first president, George Washington, in December of 1799, a new fad of sorts took the nation by storm: mourning embroidery. 

A popular form of needlework in the 1800s, mourning embroidery was considered a fashionable and refined way to express grief and remembrance for a lost loved one. 

Many of these pieces were made by young, well-to-do women who attended all-female schools where they would learn music, literature, decorative embroidery, geography as well as other subjects. 

Taking a cue from classical, historical and religious scenes, these somber works of art would feature common mourning motifs such as urns, weeping willows and female mourners. 

This sweet remembrance piece is embroidered in silk and cotton floss on a punch paper background. It is dedicated in memory of Mrs. Mary A. Wood and reads as follows:

Sacred
To the Memory of Mrs. Mary A. Wood.
Who died April 3d Aged 29 1846
Jesus said unto her I am the resurrection and the life
he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live. 

The very rudimentary design leads us to believe that it was most likely done by a young girl or possibly someone just learning how to embroider. Still, the sentiment is powerful.

A lovely piece for any mourning collection.