The Michael and Diana Green Collection of Treen and Needlework Samplers

Treen is a catch all term for small handmade wooden objects which have a functional purpose.  Chorley’s sale on Thursday, 16th December 2010 includes a wide variety of these domestic bygones from the collection of Michael and Diana Green.

Michael and Diana Green both coming from a North Country farming background, share a fascination for the domestic items of the region and began to collect in the early 1970s. Selection of Treen Scouring auctions and antique shops in Cumberland and Northumberland, they were able to grow their collection over a number of years.  Their interest became known among local farming communities and some items were sourced directly from the farmhouses in which they were used and perhaps made.  The bulk of the collection comprises butter prints, knitting sticks, settling bowls, needlework samplers and quilts of the sort that would have been used in every 19th Century farmhouse.

Knitting sticks (or sheaths) were often produced as love tokens: designs vary according to the locality, the intended use and the whim of the carver.  Usually worn tucked into a belt the sheath was used to hold one of the knitting needles in place.  The more elaborate examples include those with carved balls running loose within the body of the sheath (Lot 471, est £200-300) and others that include a wool hanger and chain all carved from a single piece of wood (Lot 470, est £120-180)).  From the 16th to the 19th Century, wool knitting was one of the small industries that supported the incomes of the poor, particularly in Wales and the North of England.  People would knit at home, while on the move and groups of knitters would meet at a cottage (known as a ‘knitting go forth’) and knit while one of the party told stories or lead songs to help keep time.  The village of Dent in Yorkshire became notorious for the speed and dedication of its knitters; one story tells how the parson was forced to rebuke his parishioners for continuing to knit during church services. 

Selection of Butter PrintsButter prints were used to decorate the prepared butter, often with a design such as a cow, swan or flowers.  Some were used to identify the butter maker, others were purely decorative.  The wood needed to be low in toxicity, hence sycamore was a popular choice. The sale also includes a group of butter print rollers (Lot 492, est £60-80)) with a variety of designs.

Favourite items are the more unusual or decorative pieces which give us an insight into the character of the maker.  The nutcrackers (Lot 468, est £100-150), one carved as a clenched fist, the other as a squirrel, convey a sense of humour and give us a little glimpse into another age.

Needlework Samplers

A Regency needlework sampler depicting St Nicholas parish church, Pier Head, Liverpool worked by Elizabeth Roberts, 1827, est £150-200 and a sampler by Mary Jackson, 1824, est £120-180.

Among a good collection of needlework samplers, one lot stands out.  Lot 510 includes two samplers, one by Margaret Hay, 1835, the other by Janet Hay, 1837, est £250-300.  Both samplers mention a house called Blue Gate from which we can deduce that they were sisters.  The example worked by Margaret has a vignette of a house, presumably Blue Gate itself.  It is fairly unusual to find samplers worked by sisters and by offering them as one lot it is hoped that they will remain together in future.

This collection presents an opportunity for collectors to fill gaps in their collections and for the beginner to acquire their first pieces of treen from a collection of variety and quality.

For further information please contact Catrin Hampton on 01452 344499 or ech@simonchorley.com 

Viewing days are Tuesday, 14th and Wednesday, 15th December 2010

Source: IONA PR