19th-Century Framed Crewel Embroidery

I found this 19th-century crewel embroidery in a beautiful, regal Greenwich, CT estate — the kind of home where every wall told a story. Sourced from longtime antiques dealer, it’s believed to date to the mid-1800s based on its materials, frame construction, and traditional embroidery techniques.

Hand-stitched in wool (and possibly silk-floss accents) on linen, it features a floral wreath and central rosette — a design popular in Victorian parlor embroidery between 1840–1880. Women often created floral studies like this for framing, with the outer zig-zag border echoing those seen on domestic samplers of the time — decorative yet restrained.

The palette of muted blush, sage, and ivory comes from early vegetable dyes, giving it that naturally aged softness. It’s housed in its black-and-gilt oval frame with glass and a wooden backboard secured by hand-driven nails, a construction detail typical of 19th-century pieces.

Romantic, feminine, beautiful and timeless! 🤍

📏 10” x 8”