This sampler is an original design -- not a replication of an real antique. My question is this: can I call it an "historical reproduction" sampler? Or, in the needlework industry, does that imply that it's a reproduction of a real antique? Is there any concensus, in the needlework industry, on the definitions of the following terms?

- historical sampler
- historical reproduction sampler
- antique reproduction sampler

Are these terms interchangeable? Is it okay to call an original design an historical reproduction? I've seen it done a variety of ways by different designers who work in this niche.

I hope to generate a healthy debate on this issue, and to educate myself at the same time.

Good question, April. My only contribution to the discussion must be tiny--I've no knowledge or experience as a needleworker. But in my mind the word reproduction means something that has been reproduced exactly, using a prior item, usually an antique or something made by a famous maker, as the model. Copied, replicated, etc. IIRC (always in doubt!) that is its meaning in the world of furniture. A reproduction is a chair, for instance, that has been made exactly like the original chair.

So if I saw a sampler that was labeled a reproduction I'd expect that sampler to be a modern copy of an old or very old sampler. I think if I saw one marked "historical sampler" I'd probably wonder what that meant, and would guess that it would mean an old sampler. I don't know what to make of the term "antique reproduction sampler." A modern copy of an antique sampler? An antique copy of an antique sampler? It's not clear which word "antique" refers to.

But maybe "reproduction" means something else in the world of needlework. I'll be interested to learn more!