No. 112.] 165 



REPORT 



OF COMMITTEE ON NEEDLE, SHELL, AND WAX WORK. 



Your committee have had in charge that portion of the exhibi- 

 tion which represents the skill and industry of the ladies of 

 New-York. A very great variety of useful and ornamental work, 

 (the pi-oduction of home industry,) has made it a difficult task 

 to come to a right decision. 



From the common patch- work quilt, to the embroidered spread ; 

 work in beads, in thread, in silk and in worsted ; needle work 

 for all uses, in all shapes, and of all kinds; flowers ; caskets and 

 cases in shell and wax, we have found, in every class, articles 

 most beautifully wrought, some of which were worthy of those 

 days of needlecraft when the dainty fingers of queens wrought 

 tapestries for the palace. 



To all the exhibitors we tender our thanks, for so much of ex- 

 cellence and so little subject to blame. It is not out of our just 

 province; as your committee, to speak well of the handicraft of 

 women. Needle work and its kindred pursuits are not useless 

 accomplishments, they are not mere genteel ways of spending the 

 gude man's "siller," but belong to all art, venerable for antiquity, 

 older than painting ; they date back to the days of Patriarchs, 

 and we i^ay believe, are heir-looms which mother Eve gave to 

 her daughters. 



History tells us of the skill of Jewish maidens. Its high artistic 

 effect may be known from the fact, that needlework was the 

 crowning decoration of the tabernacle, and also of the dress of the 

 high priest Aaron ; poesy has sung its honors and even mingled 

 its praises with the holy song. '' She shall be brought unto the 

 king in raiment of needlework. Psalms, xlv. 15." 



Even Solomon withholds not praise from the wife '*who layeth 

 her hands to the spindle, and whose hands huld thedistatf," even 

 rejoicing that *<fche maketh herself coveriDgs of ta\>€£tiy.'' 



