How do I identify early American furniture?

To identify early American furniture, you can evaluate your piece on your own or seek the opinion of a certified appraiser or experienced antique dealer. Although many pieces from the Colonial era are unmarked, double-checking your furniture for signatures, stamps and labels is still a good first step. Using trusted online resources, you can research any markings to determine if the maker was active in America during the 16th and early 17th centuries. When identifying unmarked furniture, it's generally necessary to consider the style and details of the piece. Due to its handcrafted origins, early American furniture tends to have visible tool marks and irregularities in its carvings. Early American furnishings tended to be simple in style but often had one or two refined details, such as cabriole legs. Looking at images of authentic early American furniture can be helpful when making an identification. On 1stDibs, find a collection of 18th-century American furniture.

What is the early American furniture style called?

The early American furniture style is often called the Colonial style. During the 17th century, American craftsmen drew inspiration from medieval and Renaissance furniture. By the 18th century, the William and Mary style that had emerged in England began to heavily influence the American Colonial style. Characteristics of Colonial-style furniture include turned legs, ornamental carvings and richly finished cherry, walnut and mahogany wood. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of Colonial-style furniture.

Early American Sampler

Antique Needlework Sampler

1840 Sampler

New Jersey 19th Century

Schuamcher Merrifield Sampler 20" Pillow in Document

$525

H 12 in W 20 in D 5 in

Schuamcher Merrifield Sampler 20" Pillow in Document

By Schumacher

Located in New York, NY

our studio and inspired by early American samplers, this embroidered design is animated by charming

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Pillows and Throws

Materials

Wood

Late 19th Century Antique Eye Dazzler Southwestern-Style Kilim Sampler Rug

$1,800Sale Price|20% Off

W 18 in L 38 in

Late 19th Century Antique Eye Dazzler Southwestern-Style Kilim Sampler Rug

By Navajo

Located in Dallas, TX

during the transformative era of the late 19th century, this antique Eye Dazzler sampler rug captures the

Category

Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement North and South American ...

Materials

Wool

American Country Framed Alphabet Embroidery Sampler

$5,850

H 14 in W 9 in

American Country Framed Alphabet Embroidery Sampler

Located in Queens, NY

American Country small embroidered sampler with green and red alphabet in stained wood frame

Category

Early 20th Century American Rustic Tapestries

Folk Art Early 19thC American Sampler Wrought By "Ruthanna Stoke" Dated 1836

$2,250

H 16.38 in W 17.38 in D 0.75 in

Folk Art Early 19thC American Sampler Wrought By "Ruthanna Stoke" Dated 1836

Located in Incline Village, NV

All original and authentic folk art American hand stitched early 19th century needlepoint sampler

Category

Antique Early 19th Century American Folk Art Tapestries

Materials

Tapestry

American framed needle work sampler by Seraphina Learned, 1800's

$750

H 17.75 in W 19.25 in D 1.125 in

American framed needle work sampler by Seraphina Learned, 1800's

Located in Kenilworth, IL

American sampler of silk floss on linen with a modest zig-zag border framing an uppercase letter

Category

Antique Early 18th Century American Folk Art Tapestries

Materials

Linen, Silk

Recent Sales

Early American Sampler From Newark New Jersey

Unavailable

Early American Sampler From Newark New Jersey

Located in Santa Rosa, CA

Beautiful American Sampler

Category

Antique 19th Century American More Folk Art

Materials

Fabric

11 Antique Germantown Navajo Indian Sampler Rugs

Unavailable

H 1 in W 18 in D 37 in

11 Antique Germantown Navajo Indian Sampler Rugs

By Native American Art

Located in Tulsa, OK

This is an amazing collection of 11 antique Germantown wool, Indian rug samplers. These are

Category

Early 20th Century American Navajo Quilts and Blankets

Materials

Wool

Vintage Early American Style Cherry Tiered Side End Table by The Sampler Indiana

Sold

H 22 in W 17.5 in D 26 in

Vintage Early American Style Cherry Tiered Side End Table by The Sampler Indiana

Located in Dayton, OH

A beautiful solid cherry side table by The Sampler out of Homer, Indiana. Circa 1970s. Features a

Category

Vintage 1970s American Colonial End Tables

Materials

Cherry

1827 Sampler made by Susan Gillings, Anglo-American

Sold

H 13.63 in W 13.63 in D 1 in

1827 Sampler made by Susan Gillings, Anglo-American

Located in Chapel Hill, NC

1827 Sampler made by Susan Gillings, Anglo-American. "The Promises of God", Susan Gilling, six

Category

Antique Early 19th Century American Tapestries

Materials

Linen, Silk

Collection of Four Navajo Sampler Pillows

Sold

H 9.5 in W 10.5 in D 4 in

Collection of Four Navajo Sampler Pillows

Located in Los Angeles, CA

This collection of mini Navajo weaving children's or sampler weaving pillows.The further most right

Category

Early 20th Century North American Adirondack Pillows and Throws

Materials

Wool

Vintage Navajo Pictorial Sampler Weaving - " Freemasonry" - circa 1920

Sold

H 18 in W 18 in D 0.2 in

Vintage Navajo Pictorial Sampler Weaving - " Freemasonry" - circa 1920

Located in Denver, CO

A scarce Navajo pictorial "sampler" style weaving with the masonic logo consisting of a

Category

Early 20th Century American Native American Native American Objects

Materials

Wool

Early 20thC American Needlepoint Sampler Circa, 1920.

Sold

H 18 in W 14.75 in D 0.5 in

Early 20thC American Needlepoint Sampler Circa, 1920.

Located in Incline Village, NV

Early 1900's American sampler, under glass; nicely, professionally mounted and displayed in

Category

Vintage 1920s American Folk Art Tapestries

Materials

Tapestry

Early 19thC. American Sampler By "Mary Nelson" Circa 1837

Sold

H 15 in W 16 in D 1 in

Early 19thC. American Sampler By "Mary Nelson" Circa 1837

Located in Incline Village, NV

Nice original American sampler wrought by "Mary Nelson", circa 1837. The alphabet in capital

Category

Antique 1830s American Victorian Tapestries

Materials

Tapestry

Early 19th Century Schoolgirl Sampler, probably American

Sold

H 13.25 in W 12.5 in

Early 19th Century Schoolgirl Sampler, probably American

Located in Philadelphia, PA

This charming little sampler displays a most appropriate aphorism: “Even a child is known by his

Category

Antique 19th Century American Folk Art Quilts and Blankets

1739 Dutch Sampler

Sold

H 14 in W 24 in

1739 Dutch Sampler

Located in Philadelphia, PA

small V. While English and American samplers from early periods tend to be vertical in shape, Friesian

Category

Antique 18th Century and Earlier Dutch Decorative Art

Early American School Girl Sampler by Alice Roberts, 1841-Family and Dogs

Sold

H 21 in W 20.75 in D 1 in

Early American School Girl Sampler by Alice Roberts, 1841-Family and Dogs

Located in Plymouth, MA

Nice American school girl sampler dated 1841 by Alice Roberts found in a Hingham, Ma. home. Floral

Category

Antique 1840s American Folk Art Antiquities

Materials

Thread

People Also Browsed

Schumacher Birds and Butterflies 20" Pillow in Multi

$374 / item

H 20 in W 20 in D 5 in

Schumacher Birds and Butterflies 20" Pillow in Multi

By Schumacher

Located in New York, NY

This 20" x 20" pilllow features birds and butterflies, our celebrated and ever-popular pattern derived from a hand printed 1960s wallcovering in the Schumacher archives. Shown here i...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Pillows and Throws

Materials

Cotton

Circa 1920s–1930s Vintage Navajo Rug with Bold Diamond Pattern, Trading Post Era

$4,750

W 73.75 in L 58.75 in

Circa 1920s–1930s Vintage Navajo Rug with Bold Diamond Pattern, Trading Post Era

By Navajo

Located in Denver, CO

This vintage Navajo rug, handwoven during the Trading Post Era of the 1920s–1930s, is a striking example of Diné (Navajo) textile artistry from the pan-reservation period. Crafted by...

Category

20th Century American Native American Rugs

Materials

Wool

Antique 1890s Navajo Serape Rug, Transitional Wool Weaving, Bold Colors

$6,500

W 42.5 in L 65.25 in

Antique 1890s Navajo Serape Rug, Transitional Wool Weaving, Bold Colors

By Navajo

Located in Denver, CO

This exceptional antique Navajo (Diné) serape rug, dating to circa 1890, is a rare and highly collectible example of Transitional Period weaving, a pivotal moment when traditional Na...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century American Native American North and South Ameri...

Materials

Wool

Antique Navajo Carpet, Folk Rug, Handmade Wool, Beige, Gray, Blood Orange

$12,799Sale Price|20% Off

W 84 in L 137 in

Antique Navajo Carpet, Folk Rug, Handmade Wool, Beige, Gray, Blood Orange

Located in Port Washington, NY

Navajo rugs and blankets are textiles produced by Navajo people of the four corners area of the United States. Navajo textiles are highly regarded and have been sought after as trade...

Category

Mid-20th Century North American Navajo Rugs

Materials

Wool

Late 19th Century Antique Southwestern-Style Eye Dazzler Kilim

$4,480Sale Price|35% Off

W 57 in L 84 in

Late 19th Century Antique Southwestern-Style Eye Dazzler Kilim

Located in Dallas, TX

78429 Vintage Eye Dazzler Southwestern style Rug, 04'09 x 07'00. Woven under the vast skies and sacred mesas of the American Southwest, this antique Southwestern style Eye Dazzler ki...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century American Spanish Colonial North and South Amer...

Materials

Wool

1910's Southwestern style Carpet with Southwest Modern Style

$1,740Sale Price|20% Off

W 25 in L 41 in

1910's Southwestern style Carpet with Southwest Modern Style

By Navajo

Located in Dallas, TX

78752 Antique Transitional Southwestern-Style Kilim, 02'01 x 03'05. Transitional Southwestern-style kilims, woven during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, mark a period of cult...

Category

Early 20th Century American Navajo North and South American Rugs

Materials

Wool

Antique Ganado Southwestern style Rug, Modern Desert & Contemporary Santa Fe

$1,919Sale Price|20% Off

W 34 in L 60 in

Antique Ganado Southwestern style Rug, Modern Desert & Contemporary Santa Fe

By Navajo

Located in Dallas, TX

78747 Antique Ganado Southwestern-Style Kilim, 02'10 x 05'00. With a legacy rooted in artistry and tradition, this Ganado Southwestern-style kilim stands as a symbol of cultural pres...

Category

Early 20th Century American Navajo North and South American Rugs

Materials

Wool

1910's Antique Klagetoh-Inspired Southwestern-Style Kilim Rug Early 20th Century

$10,500Sale Price|25% Off

W 66 in L 111 in

1910's Antique Klagetoh-Inspired Southwestern-Style Kilim Rug Early 20th Century

By Navajo

Located in Dallas, TX

78563 Antique Southwestern-Style Klagetoh Kilim Rug, 05'06 x 09'03. Woven beneath the ancestral skies of the Four Corners region, this handwoven wool antique Southwestern textile in ...

Category

Early 20th Century American Spanish Colonial North and South American Rugs

Materials

Wool

1920's Antique Southwestern-Style Chinle Kilim Rug Early 20th Century

$3,000Sale Price|20% Off

W 33 in L 54 in

1920's Antique Southwestern-Style Chinle Kilim Rug Early 20th Century

By Navajo

Located in Dallas, TX

78558 Antique Chinle Southwestern-Style Kilim Rug, 02'09 x 04'06. Bathed in the stillness of the high desert, this handwoven wool antique Southwestern-style textile from the Chinle r...

Category

Early 20th Century American Spanish Colonial North and South American Rugs

Materials

Wool

Get Updated with New Arrivals

Save "Early American Sampler", and we’ll notify you when there are new listings in this category.

Early American Sampler For Sale on 1stDibs

With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the early American sampler you’re looking for. Each early American sampler for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using fabric, wool and linen. If you’re shopping for an early American sampler, we have 7 options in-stock, while there are 1 modern editions to choose from as well. Your living room may not be complete without an early American sampler — find older editions for sale from the 18th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 21st Century. When you’re browsing for the right early American sampler, those designed in folk art and modern styles are of considerable interest. Navajo and Schumacher each produced at least one beautiful early American sampler that is worth considering.

How Much is a Early American Sampler?

An early American sampler can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $3,125, while the lowest priced sells for $525 and the highest can go for as much as $30,000.