Needlework Sampler, Elizabeth Temple, c1826

Needlework Sampler, Elizabeth Temple, c1826A needlework sampler worked by Elizabeth Temple, aged ten, in 1826 or thereabouts. The linen ground has aged to a warm honey brown, and the silk threads have softened with time from what would have been vivid reds and greens into a muted palette. Two rows of capital letters run across the top, followed by the lowercase alphabet and numerals, and then the maker's own inscription: Elizabeth Temple aged 10 years 1826. Below, the sampler opens into a grid

operating from Longton from the 1890s and producing an enormous range of decorative and functional ceramics through the mid-twentieth century

skincare in a bathroom

which was not unusual for English earthenware platters of this period

Walker & Hall

Dimensions: 15 h x 7

which is part of the appeal: arranged in a bowl or grouped on a shelf

and full of old-world charm

Square-bottom handles with Sheffield steel Firth stainless blades

Sheffield-made cutlery of this kind was built to last

A versatile small dish suitable for use as a pinch pot

A sweet piece from Mikasa's crystal giftware range

time-worn patina