http://tinyurl.com/3t7gmus SUPERB Antique Vtg BRUSSELS POINT DE GAZE LACE DOILY
Size: 9.5″ square
Starting price: $29.99
Auction ends: Oct 09, 2011 18:02:34 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller adtjmd, RED VELVET BENCH, United States
Comments: A Point de Gaze handkerchief, no monogram. The design looks complex, but is fairly simple. One raised petal roses throughout, and the fillings are not complicated. The condition appears very good. I can’t see any problems from the photos. The size is a bit small. (this listing will probably have ended by the time I post this piece, but I’ll still include it in the Alerts).

   Sold for $96.00, 11 bids.

http://tinyurl.com/3d6mtyd SUPERB ANTIQUE LACE-GROS POINT LACE BORDER
Size: 2.75″ x 34″
Starting price: $75.00
Auction ends: Oct 10, 2011 17:14:49 PDT
Offered by: Maria Niforos, Ebay seller mithya, London-New York, United States
Comments: So much Gros Point available today has been cut up and reassembled, that collectors are more buying motifs than a complete piece of lace. Looking at this piece on a motif basis, it is quite nice. Extensive tightly worked clothwork in several patterns. The cordonnets are well sculpted with decorative picots. It looks like a few brides might have survived. I’m of the firm opinion that you can learn just about all there is to know about needlelace technique by looking closely at a good piece of Gros Point. This is a nice place to start. Condition is chancy – some separations in the clothwork, and a few  frayed spots. But there doesn’t seem to be much unravelling of the cordonnets, which is often a problem in this kind of work.

  No bids.

http://tinyurl.com/3apaohu ANTIQUE LACE-BRUSSELS LACE
Size: 9″ x 46″
Starting price: $75.00
Auction ends: Oct 10, 2011 17:24:24 PDT
Offered by: Maria Niforos, Ebay seller mithya, London-New York, United States
Comments: A Duchesse de Bruges border, fairly wide – wish there were more. It’s a crowded assembly of flowers and leaves. Individually the motifs are well done, taken all together I find it a bit confused. Overall good condition, I do see a few broken brides and some small  holes.

   Sold for $157.50, 3 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3jms8qd ANTIQUE LACE-BRUSSELS POINT DE GAZE COLLAR
Size: 4.5″ x 23.5″
Starting price: $65.00
Auction ends: Oct 10, 2011 17:43:37 PDT
Offered by: Maria Niforos, Ebay seller mithya, London-New York, United States
Comments: A small Point de Gaze colar. Note the conected picots on the edge, imitating the horsehair edge of Alençon. The clothwork is dense, sometimes including window patterns. Raised petal roses, not much in the way of fillings. Condition looks very good, I think the few scraggeling threads along the border might be leftovers from some past attachment.

   No bid.s

http://tinyurl.com/3duzjy3 ANTIQUE LACE-UNUSUAL DESIGN
Size: ~3″ x 91″
Starting price: $29.99
Auction ends: Oct 10, 2011 18:11:18 PDT
Offered by: Maria Niforos, Ebay seller mithya, London-New York, United States
Comments: This looks like a good bucks border. Note the extensive areas of fillings, alose the small flowers contained within some filling areas.  The pattern is a bit simple, and some catch pin edgings could be worked a bit closer to the gimp. But overall it’s quite a nice piece, with no condition issues that I can see from the photos.

   Sold for $88.05, 4 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/4yfw7yr ANTIQUE LACE-FINE MECHLIN LACE
Size: not given
Starting price: $39.99
Auction ends: Oct 11, 2011 08:12:09 PDT
Offered by: Maria Niforos, Ebay seller mithya, London-New York, United States
Comments: A border of late 18th c Mechlin with a straight edge. It’s a bit worn, some pinholes in the mesh and frayed edge in places – I think I can also spot some well-done repairs. It’s also quite soft from wear. The work is excellent with great detail in the edge motifs, and 6 rows of dots in the upper mesh. This is a summer lace meant to be ruffled.

   No bids.

http://tinyurl.com/3cuxd8l ANTIQUE LACE-116″ OF LACE
Size: 3.5″ x 116″
Starting price: $29.99
Auction ends: Oct 11, 2011 08:20:45 PDT
Offered by: Maria Niforos, Ebay seller mithya, London-New York, United States
Comments: This is a Beveran pattern. It does not have the typical small tallies in the ground – the open circles are an interesting variation. The straight thick edge is pure Beveran.  The technique of this lace is extensively documented by Nadine Pauwels in her ‘Beverse Kanten’ series published by the Kantcentrum. The condition of this piece looks very good, I don’t see any problems.

   Sold for $37.00, 2 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3ggsoww ANTIQUE LACE- C. 18THC. MECHLIN LACE
Size: 2″ x 53″
Starting price: $65.00
Auction ends: Oct 11, 2011 08:53:32 PDT
Offered by: Maria Niforos, Ebay seller mithya, London-New York, United States
Comments: A very good length of mid 18th c Mechlin. The condition looks very good, a few pulls in the ground, but no major damage. There are some interesting fillings in the open spaces, otherwise it’s a typical Louis XV undulating design. Nice piece in a good collectible length.

   No bids.

http://tinyurl.com/3t4jq7v Antique Honiton handmade lace lovely collar
Size: 18″ inside edge, 4.5″ wide
Starting price: 24.99 GBP
Auction ends: Oct 11, 2011 09:25:44 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller discover4, London, United Kingdom
Comments: A Honiton guipure collar of interesting design. Still in the snails/slugs tradition, but the ‘arrowhead’ design is quite unusual. Well made with extensive tally fillings. There are several large gaps near the neckline, which could be repaired. The neckline also looks a bit discolored from wear. But overall the piece is in good condition.

   Sold for 24.99 GBP, 1 bidder.

http://tinyurl.com/3podbrg Antique Duchesse handmade lace lovely large Bertha collar
Size: 44″ inside edge, 7″ wide
Starting price: 39.99 GBP
Auction ends: Oct 11, 2011 09:39:40 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller discover4, London, United Kingdom
Comments: A Bruges Bloemwerk bertha. Large motifs with a typical bride ground. A few woven tallies in the centers of open spaces (I’ll make it a goal in the coming year to use terminology more consistent with the technique). The motifs are large and nicely done. The motif size gives the piece a bit of a clunky appearance. Something is wrong with motif arrangement, I’m having trouble identifying a left-right symmetry to the piece. It looks a bit thown together. Scattered breaks throughout, not too serious.

   Sold for 41.00 GBP, 2 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3vpfe9m Fabulous Antique Handmade Needle Lace Flounce
Size: 16″ x 128″
Starting price: 9.99 GBP
Auction ends: Oct 12, 2011 12:00:51 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller baraud, Newton Abbot, United Kingdom
Comments: Apologies, my Ebay automatic watch list notification failed over the past few days and I missed this important piece. It is a wide Point de Gaze flounce. Note the pointed raised petals on the roses, with clothwork including small window patterns. A sign of a superior manufacturer. Good and varied fillings are present throughout the elaborate border. The design is of naturalistic flowers and leaves, with sprays of small leaves in the upper ground. The piece is in overall good condition with scattered tiny holes in the net throughout. Some repair has been attempted. The seller says the piece has been ‘given a gentle wash’. It does appear slightly wrinkled, and I can’t tell the color. It would certainly improve with the attention of a trained conservator.
Note, this appears to be another part of the piece offered on Ebay as #260802166693 last June (http://tinyurl.com/4y2vcqb). The length is different.

   Sold for 820.00 GBP, 14 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3jnn865 ANCHISIMO CUELLO BERTA DE 1880.HECHO A MANO DE BOLILLOS.HILO SEDA CRUDO
Size: 19 cm wide, outer edge 260 cm, inner edge 96 cm
Starting price: 88.00 EUR
Auction ends: 12 oct 2011 18:14:12 H.Esp
Offered by: Ebay seller claud17114, Comunidad Valenciana, España
Comments: A Maltese bertha. Good dense design, and it looks like there are 4 separate lengths joined together. That’s very typical for pieces like this, and adapts to the long, narrow Maltese/Gozian pillow. Some good guipure along with the typical Maltese crosses and grids of leaves. It’s hard to tell how the ends are treated, looks a little rough. The seller says it’s in perfect condition, but I think I see a few disconnections. Nothing major, and overall it is in good condition. Check with the seller about payment, I don’t think they take Paypal.

   No bids.

http://tinyurl.com/4y5ndoh A GORGEOUS VINTAGE MALTESE LACE PARASOL COVER
Size: 30″ diameter
Starting price: 19.95 GBP
Auction ends: Oct 12, 2011 14:06:00 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller beyondthetower, SOMERSET, United Kingdom
Comments: I’m always a little amazed at Maltese parasol covers – it seems such a heavy lace for this application. But this is the 4th one to come up on Ebay in the past year.  As with most large Maltese pieces, it is made of several narrow lengths sewn together. The design is a typical St. John’s cross motif with lots of woven leaf roundels and grids. In Maltese we look for more innovative guipure designs – this one is good, but not surprising. Condition looks good, a few spots, nothing seriously broken.

   Sold for 155.00 GBP, 7 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3avx6cp Beautiful antique Honiton lace large collar, bertha shawl
Size: 74″ long, 18″ across widest point at back, 5″ across sides
Starting price: 9.99 GBP
Auction ends: Oct 13, 201113:54:36 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller jellyjumble, forest hill, United Kingdom
Comments: A Honiton shawl collar with big, bold designs. The large feathers along the border are a real marker and could probably be traced to a specific manufacturere. The lacemaker(s) have tried hard for naturalistic flowers (roses, thistles, lily-of-the-valley and others), and are fairly successful. Note this has a needlelace point ground (Honiton Point), which is a bit unusual for such a piece of this size. Condition looks very good – seller cits a few small breaks but I don’t see them. The neck edge does look a bit ragged in places.  Just for fun I’ve put a photo of a similar piece from my own collection, but with a bride ground, next to the listed piece. Note the similarities, especially in the neck edge motifs.

      Sold for 210.78 GBP, 13 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3es7lgu VENETIAN HAND MADE NEEDLE LACE Ca 1700
Size: 4″ x 47″
Starting price: $10.00 with reserve
Auction ends: Oct 15, 2011 14:50:11 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller eastayton, London. England, United Kingdom
Comments: Small scale Venetian needlelace like this is often called ‘Rose Point’. And just like the larger sizes it is still subject to considerable reworking. One can almost trace an undulating pattern, and in the third photo down at the right there seems to be a central symmetry point.  A more conventional Gros Point (of better workmanship in my opinion) is attached to a few inches at the right end. In the majority of the piece the work is a little simple, although the surviving brides are rather interesting. It’s just not Gros Point at its best.

   $10.00, 1 bidder, reserve not met.

http://tinyurl.com/3wjoowh ENGLISH RETICELLA NEEDLE LACE SAMPLER ca 1660 RARE
Size: 7″ x 12.5″
Starting price: $10.00 with reserve
Auction ends: Oct 15, 2011 15:10:37 PDT
Offered by: Anne Swift, Ebay seller eastayton, London. England, United Kingdom
Comments: This is the second ‘English Reticella’ sampler that Anne has offered in the past 4 months (http://tinyurl.com/3wvqa7a). It’s a lovely pattern and the needlelace stitches do look consistent with 17th century English work. I always keep Margaret Simeon’s book right next to my computer, and took a closer look at the piece Anne illustrates with the tag. From the quality of the photo in the listing, I’ll speculate that Anne has access to the original Simeon piece. Simeon labels her lace as a 17th century lace sampler, but does not give a country of origin. Note that it has a parchment backing, unlike the Ebay one, which could indicate that the work is complete and the backing removed.
The condition is excellent.

   Sold for $721.77, 8 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3ljdqlg BRUSSELS POINT DE GAZE NEEDLE LACE HANDKERCHIEF 19th CENTURY MOUCHOIR
Size: 13″ square
Starting price: $10.00 with reserve
Auction ends: Oct 15, 2011 15:20:06 PDT
Offered by: Anne Swift, Ebay seller eastayton, London. England, United Kingdom
Comments: A Point de Gaze handkerchief, no raised work and no elaborate fillings. It looks quite nice, there’s some attempt at naturalism in the corner motifs. But I find the detailed work a bit plain.  I see one very small hole in the net at the top right center, but otherwise very good condition.

   Sold for $400.00, 10 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3elmpnb CHANTILLY BOBBIN LACE FAN MOTHER OF PEARL STICKS in HAYWARDS BOX EVENTAIL
Size: 12″ long
Starting price: $10.00 with reserve
Auction ends: Oct 15, 2011 15:30:30 PDT
Offered by: Anne Swift, Ebay seller eastayton, London. England, United Kingdom
Comments: A Chantilly mourning fan with Mother of Pearl sticks. The lace is on a white ground, which is a bit unusual. It’s a finely worked lace, but I might expect a little more in the way of decorative fillings. Those are usually the truest sign that a piece is handmade, and I had to stare awhile to convince myself that this one is good. The lace is in excellent condition – I just wish it could have been mounted in a bit more elaborate setting.  The labels on the box are great – little water stained on top.

   $128.00, 7 bidders, reserve not met.

http://tinyurl.com/4ye4hlq FLEMISH ANTWERP BOBBIN LACE SO CALLED DUTCH LACE ca 1660 250 cms 100 inches
Size: 2.75″ x 100″
Starting price: $10.00 with reserve
Auction ends: Oct 15, 2011 16:00:13 PDT
Offered by: Anne Swift, Ebay seller eastayton, London. England, United Kingdom
Comments: This piece has been listed before (March 10, 2011 Ebay Alerts), but is so good that I’m giving it another go.  Contrary to what I said in the previous listing, I think the edge is original. It is much smaller and more finely worked that you might think from the photos. It was normally used as an edging for a cap. It really is called ‘Dutch Lace’, and is little illustrated in the standard references. Jourdain’s “Old Lace” is an exception, but gives little practical information. This piece is very long, and the seller states there are three well matched joins. Condition looks basically perfect.

   $202.52, 5 bidders, reserve not met.

http://tinyurl.com/3neus8d FRENCH ALENCON NEEDLE LACE LAPPETS Ca 1760
Size: 3.5″ x 59″
Starting price: $10.00 with reserve
Auction ends: Oct 15, 2011 16:10:31 PDT
Offered by: Anne Swift, Ebay seller eastayton, London. England, United Kingdom
Comments: A good set of Alençon lappets, quite long, and joined at the ends. They use the reseau ground, and have some elaborate fillings. It’s a beautiful set, but there are some condition issues – stains, pulls and repairs to the ground, some fraying. But frankly most of the reseau lappets from this period show the same thing, and this is just as good as you are likely to find for a long time.

   $22.49, 5 bidders, reserve not met.