A Newcomb College Embroidered Linen Lamp Mat, c. 1908-1912, beige linen embroidered with silk thread in shades of mulberry, smoky blue, moss green, peach, mandarin orange, and bittersweet, in a pattern of blossoms and foliage, 16 in. x 15 in. E2500-3500 Note: The design of this mat relates to the work of Pauline Wright Irby Nichols and Gertrude Roberts Smith. Note: A program to create embroidered objects was begun at Newcomb College in 1902 by Gertrude Roberts Smith using the same standards of design established for the production of pottery. The use of color and the unity of design, as seen in this example, was the subject of praise from Ellsworth Woodward in the following years and the demand for Newcomb textiles blossomed. Reference: For more on Newcomb needlework see Poesch, Newcomb Pottery and Crafts, pp. 71-72, 170.