$1,680
Martha Anne Hunnewell Cutwork Heart, America, 1809, white paper cutout heart with detailed images of foliage, birds, an urn, and the initials "JP," mounted on conforming dark blue paper above a note inscribed "The inclosed [ sic ] specimen of taste & art was designed and executed by Martha A. Hunnewell, a young lady without hands, in the presence of, and for Joseph Pope at Portland, May 24 1809," the heart measures 2 1/2 x 2 3/8 in., mounted with the note in a later frame. Note: Martha Anne Honeywell was born around 1787 in Lempster, New Hampshire. She was born with only the first joints of both arms, and one foot with three toes. She was able to earn a living by traveling along the Eastern seaboard of the United States and to Europe exhibiting her talent of cutting silhouette portraits and cutwork pictures by holding the paper with her toes and the scissors with her mouth, she also offered finely stitched needlepoint watch papers, and wrote tiny verses with her mouth.
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2013-03-03
