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2022.610.1, Hand Towel
Embroidered Hand Towel by Mary Burkholder
2022.610.1, Hand Towel

Embroidered Hand Towel by Mary Burkholder

Date1828
Maker Mary Burkholder (1801 - 1847)
OriginAmerica, Pennsylvania, Lancaster County
MediumSilk, cotton, and linen embroidery threads on a plain-weave linen ground
DimensionsOverall: 17 5/8 × 63 1/2in. (with fringe) (44.8 × 161.3cm)
Credit LineMuseum Purchase, The Antique Collectors' Guild
Object number2022.610.1
DescriptionThis is a long, rectangular decorative hand towel worked in shades of red, cream, brown, green, and blue silk, cotton, and linen embroidery threads on a plain-weave linen ground. It has fringe at top and bottom, selvage at right side, and a narrow hem at left side. There are two plain-weave 3/8”-wide tape tabs stitched 2” from the top on the backside of the towel. The towel is made up of two linen panels stitched together—one measuring 60” and the other 3 ½” long—with the fringe from the longer panel hiding the seam. From the top the embroidered motifs consist of a heart enclosing the signature and date: “MA RY/ BURK HOL/ DER/ 18 . 28”. Flanking the date on each side is an eight-pointed star. Below the date is a geometric flower motif. Rising from the top of the heart are five red, yellow, and green tulips with leaves. Flanking the tulips on each side is a brown and cream bird on a sprig with blue flowers. Below the heart is the inscription: “DU . EILST . O . MENSCH . ZUR . EWIGKEIT . DRUM . SVUME ./ NICHT . SEV . STETS . BEREIT . ZU . EINEM . GUTEN . ENDE”. Below this is a centered lemon tree motif flanked by two geometric motifs and two star motifs on each side. The middle portion of the towel is not embroidered. The third quadrant of the towel consists of an embroidered centered geometric vase with flowers and two birds with a sprig of acorns at each corner. Below this is the inscription: “DAS . LEBEN . DIESER . WELT . IST . KURZ . DAS” followed by a crown motif and an eight-pointed star motif/ “LEBEN . IEN SEITS . A BER HAT KEIN . ENDE”. Below the inscription is a 12”-long area void of embroidery. The bottom of the towel has a centered vase with two flowers and a star-like flower with geometric flower sprigs in each corner. Below this is a blue and red cross-stitched heart (the color appears purple) with an eight-pointed star in each corner.
Stitches: chain, cross, hem, and straight
Label TextElaborately embroidered hand towels such as this one by Mary Burkholder, are often called "show towels" today because they were seldom, if ever, intended for actual use. Instead they were hung for display purposes inside guest rooms or on the living-room side of doors between the kitchen and living room of nineteenth-century Pennsylvania-German households.
Mary Burkholer combined fine workmanship with cohesive patterning and an unusual amount of decorative stitching, making the towel an outstanding specimen of its type. She was the unmarried daughter of David Burkholder (1780-1860) and Susanna Kreider (1774-1833).
InscribedBelow the heart is the inscription:
“DU . EILST . O . MENSCH . ZUR . EWIGKEIT . DRUM . SVUME ./ NICHT . SEV . STETS . BEREIT . ZU . EINEM . GUTEN . ENDE”. It translates as "You are traveling, O person, to eternity, Therefore, do not waste time, be prepared for a good end."
Below the centered geometric tree motif is the inscription:
“DAS . LEBEN . DIESER . WELT . IST . KURZ . DAS” / “LEBEN . IEN SEITS . A BER HAT KEIN . It translates as "The life in the world is short, Life at all times, however, has no end."
ProvenanceEx collection: Donald and Patricia Herr; purchased from Neverbird Antiques in 2007; purchased by Neverbird Antiques at the Horst auction of Abraham Kurtz's estate on February 1, 2006.

History of towel maker:
Mary Burkholder was the unmarried Mennonite daughter of David Burkholder (1780-1860) and Susanna Kreider (1774-1833). Mary's sister, Susanna (1809-1849) married John Geist (1804-1866) of West Lampeter Township, PA. Apparently, Susanna's daughter, Martha B. Geist (ca. 1850-1898), inherited the towel. Martha was married to Rev. Abraham S. Kurtz (1840-1917), a preacher in the Reformed Mennonite Church. The towel was owned by his descendant of Ephrata, PA. (Per notes of Trish Herr's that came with towel.)