Seven Centuries of Lace 10

Seven Centuries of Lace 10

We must again notice how similar the design in the fine old Valenciennes

of Plate 108 is to that of Alençon needle-point of the same date. The

réseau is closely plaited, and the toilé of the beautiful patterns

compact and clear in definition. No outline or cordonnet is used in

Valenciennes lace. The early lace has what is called the round réseau,

the later Valenciennes made at Yprès has a square réseau (Plate 109).

This latter lace is still made, but has not the charm of the

eighteenth-century lace.

 

The lace (Plate 110) was probably made in Paris. It is very curious,

with heraldic device of an eagle with a shield; dogs also, and stags,

are introduced. It may have been made for a wedding about 1690. This

lace is often described in the inventories of old families in France as

dentelle de chasse.

 

The Blonde lace (Plate 111) was made in Chantilly for a wedding in 1820.

 

Plate 112 gives three specimens of bobbin-made lace, with the so-called

maglia di Spagna, or Spanish mesh. No. 1 is of linen thread, with a

coarser thread introduced; but one should remark that this thread is not

used to outline the pattern as in Flemish lace. I have not met this

réseau in any Flemish lace. Nos. 2 and 3 are bobbin-made silk lace, and

were ruffles for a Court dress-coat.

 

The black mantilla, Plate 113, has the fond chant réseau used as a

filling, and, although bought in Madrid in 1840, it may have been made

in France.

 

The difficulty of working the materials of gold and silver lace is so

great that absolute regularity of either pattern or réseau is

impossible. This, however, in my opinion, only renders these rare laces

more interesting. Both metals are used in the characteristic specimen of

sixteenth-century Spanish lace, No. 1 in Plate 114.

 

Number 2 is a silver seventeenth-century lace from Genoa, the edge is a

shell pattern, and several thicknesses of the metal-covered silk thread

are used. Plate 115 has four patterns of seventeenth-century gold and

silver lace made in Italy, probably at Lucca.

 

The Brussels lappet, made in 1849, Plate 116, was then considered one of

the finest ever made, the pattern is pretty and realistic, and

foreshadows the style since prevalent.

 

The Bedfordshire lappet, on the same plate, is far inferior in

execution, but was made by a cottager at about the same time and has

done good service.

 

Two patterns of Buckinghamshire lace, Plate 117, made about 1790, show

more even workmanship than is generally seen in this lace. No. 2 has a

likeness to the Mechlin and Lille lace of the same date; No. 1 is more

like the Flemish Trolle Kant, and was, in fact, called Trolly lace. It

will be observed that the fillings have the six-pointed star, or fond

chant réseau, so prevalent in pillow lace.

 

There is a tradition that the art of bobbin-made lace was imported into

Devonshire by emigrants from the Netherlands, flying from the tyranny of

the Duke of Alva. Mr. Seguin, in his learned book, contends that the

troubles in Flanders had completely destroyed the lace industry before

Philip II. of Spain sent the notorious Duke of Alva there. I believe,

however, both that lace-making existed before that time in England, and

that the emigration had a beneficial effect on all English industry,

although not an initial one.

 

I have given both the right and wrong side of the Honiton lace

cap-border in Plate 118, to show the threads of the connecting réseau,

passing behind the patterns, the thread making the brides picotées also

passes in the same manner.

 

Plate 119 shows a remarkably fine specimen of Honiton bobbin lace. The

flowers are made separately in this specimen, and are afterwards joined

by twisted brides claires made with a needle. The design is of birds,

butterflies, and the rose, shamrock, and thistle. It was, perhaps, made

to commemorate the Union.

 

Plate 120 is of Honiton sprays applied to machine-made net.

 

Space does not admit of any attempt to give a complete Bibliography. I

find that a mere list of books that I have consulted at different times

would be too long. I will therefore only mention that the works of the

following authors would be very valuable to those intending to pursue

this subject.

 

A fairly complete list of Italian and German pattern-books will be found

in Mrs. Bury Palliser's "History of Lace." And the works of Mr. Alan

Cole, Dr. Franz Bock, Father Braun, S.J., Dr. Moritz Dreger and Dr. Ilg

of Vienna, Dr. Daniel Rock, Mons. Seguin, and Mr. Verhaagen have all

been especially useful; and while preparing this for the press I have

seen with great delight the splendid book of illustrations of Italian

needle lace compiled by Signora Elisa Ricci.

 

In concluding these remarks, I must say that I owe the first idea of

writing on this subject to my learned and accomplished husband, Mr. John

Hungerford Pollen. Much information was given me in long bygone days by

Dr. Daniel Rock, and by another old friend, Mrs. Bury Palliser, who gave

me one of my first specimens in 1862.

 

At the present time I owe many thanks for advice and supervision to Mr.

Alan Cole, whose knowledge of lace is unsurpassed.

 

 

 

 

PLATES

 

 

[Illustration: PLATE I. THE ALB, PRESERVED AT ASSISI, SAID TO HAVE BEEN

WORN BY ST. FRANCIS]

 

[Illustration: PLATE II. THE ALB WHICH IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN WORN BY POPE

BONIFACE, A.D. 1298]

 

[Illustration:

 

PLATE III. (1) DETAIL OF THE ALB OF POPE BONIFACE VIII.

(2) DETAIL OF THE ASSISI ALB.]

 

[Illustration: PLATE IV. THREE PIECES OF NEEDLEWORK FROM EGYPTO-ROMAN OR

COPTIC TOMBS OF THE SECOND AND THIRD CENTURIES

 

One is part of a circular panel or roundel, and the other two are

parts of girdles. The gammadion or symbol of the cross can be traced

in all three: and the polygonal character of the design is similar

to that of the Assisi alb]

 

[Illustration: PLATE V. (1) A PIECE OF BOBBIN-MADE LACE. (2) DARNED WORK

WITH WHITE LINEN THREAD. (3) PORTION OF A MUMMY CLOTH

 

No. 1 is a piece of bobbin-made lace, found in the Coptic tombs in

1903, and now in the Cluny Museum in Paris. Bobbins were found at

the same time. I do not think this fabric was made on a lace

pillow, but that a sort of frame with pegs was used to keep the

bobbins separate

 

No. 2 is darned work with linen white thread, very similar to the

Italian towel No. 1 in Plate XXVIII.; the background is afterwards

darned in with coloured wool. This is also from a Coptic tomb of

the third century

 

No. 3 is a portion of a mummy cloth of the Eighteenth Dynasty, 1700

B.C. The linen is very strong and of a wiry nature]

 

[Illustration: PLATE VI. TWO EXAMPLES OF ITALIAN TELA TIRATA AND PUNTO

REALE

 

Chosen as showing similarity to the work of the Assisi alb.

Together 13 ft. 7 in. long

 

_Italian. 16th century_]

 

[Illustration: PLATE VII. AN EXAMPLE OF EARLY LACIS OR SFILATURA

 

Chosen as showing similarity to the work of the alb of Pope

Boniface. The square mesh netting has centres worked in matting

stitch, punto a stuora; threads radiate from these centres and

darning stitch and punto di treccia are both used to form various

patterns, some cruciform

 

7 ft. 9 in. × 10 in.

 

_Sicilian, 15th century_]

 

[Illustration: PLATE VIII. SEVEN ENLARGED STITCHES USED IN LACIS AND

LINEN LACE

 

No. 1. Early lacis work, showing the punto a stuora and punto di

treccia

 

No. 2. Lacis with square knotted mesh and pattern darned with punto

a tela. In this specimen gold thread has been run round the pattern

 

No. 3. Lacis with a twisted mesh, darned with punto a rammendo;

this style is called Buratto in Italy

 

No. 4. Tela tirata. The threads are only partly drawn, and the

pattern left in the linen, some threads being cut

 

No. 5. Tela tirata. In this style some threads of both warp and

woof in the whole piece of linen are drawn: the missing threads of

the pattern are then darned in again; the background is then sewn

over as in the other style. No threads at all are cut, which makes

it more even and durable

 

No. 6. Punto avorio. The needle-made knots make a very even surface

resembling ivory

 

No. 7. English needle-point, called Hollie or Holy Work, a stitch

which resembles the Alençon réseau in the working, as after

completing a row the thread is passed back so as always to begin at

the same point]

 

[Illustration: PLATE IX. FIVE ENLARGED VARIETIES OF RÉSEAUX