Mary Austen's Mid 19th C. Alphabet Sampler with Many Birds hand-painted toy Photos don't quite do justice

Photos don't quite do justice to this one--getting enough light on the painting blows out the gold of the frame

and plenty of horses

with flaws thoroughly documented

is a replacement for a more roughly carved original pin

This to me very much has the ethereal and otherworldly qualities of a daguerreotype of a painted portrait

Mary Austen's Mid 19th C. Alphabet Sampler with Many Birds hand-painted toy Photos don't quite do justiceA few losses to this one on the border, and to a couple of numbers but I really love those birds lined up in a row facing in the same direction, and another pair facing each other at the foot of a large tree. Signed by a Mary Austen, and my guess is that the "54" at center right is the year. I like samplers that roll a bunch of things together in what feels like an improvisatory sort of way, and this is very much one of those. 11" x 7 1 8". A bit of