Ten Table Manners by Chris Roberts-Antieau, 2003

An original, one-of-a-kind fabric appliqué and thread painting by one of America's most beloved textile artists. Signed, dated, and presented under glass in the artist's hand-painted frame.

Every rule your grandmother taught you, stitched in fabric. Ten numbered banners stack down the center, each embroidered with a classic dinner-table rule:

1. Chew with your mouth closed.
2. Sit up straight.
3. Put your napkin in your lap.
4. Don't talk with your mouth full.
5. Keep your elbows off the table.
6. Don't play with your food.
7. Say please + thanks.
8. Take small bites.
9. Have pleasant conversation.
10. Excuse yourself before leaving the table.

Two figures lean in from the upper corners to hold the banners in place, and silver stitched threads hang each rule like a sign. Rainbow curtains of striped fabric frame both sides. At the bottom, a couple raises a toast across a table topped with a vase of red flowers. White embroidered stars scatter across the black background.

Up close, the detail steals the show. Printed cottons, plaids, velvets, and tiger stripes form every shape. Dense machine stitching builds the hair, brows, lips, and hand-lettered text. Layered thread shading brings out rosy cheeks and the golden wheat medallion behind the number 2.

The Frame
A hand-painted black wooden frame with a green vine-and-leaf design wrapping the full border, with lightly distressed edges. The artist's signature style and original to the piece. Striped fabric binding edges the artwork, set on a black mount and protected under glass to keep the fabric clean and dust-free.

Museum Connection
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts holds a 2003 Roberts-Antieau titled Ten Table Manners in its permanent collection (Linda Lee Alter Collection of Art by Women).

Details
Artist: Chris Roberts-Antieau (American, b. 1950)
Title: Ten Table Manners
Date: 2003
Medium: Fabric appliqué, embroidery, and thread painting
Framing: Artist's hand-painted wooden frame, under glass
Framed size: Approx. 42" H x 38.5" W
Signature: Artist label on back reads "an Original Work of Art by Chris Roberts-Antieau," signed and dated 2003
Hanging: Wire and D-ring hardware installed, felt bumpers on bottom corners

Condition
Excellent front with bright colors, no fading, and no loose stitching. The black dust cover on the back has a small tear near the upper right hanger and some wrinkling. It does not touch the artwork and is an easy fix for any framer.

About the Artist
Chris Roberts-Antieau taught herself to sew and turned a mechanical sewing machine into a paintbrush. Her fabric works blend folk art, humor, and storytelling, and her pieces hang in museum and government collections, including the U.S. State Department's Art in Embassies program. She runs Antieau Gallery in New Orleans, where similar large original works list from $8,500 and up.