http://tinyurl.com/q8fyton A VICTORIAN BRUGES HAND MADE BOBBIN LACE LAPPET SCARF OR TIE
Size: 51″ x 5″ (at ends)
Starting Price: 4.00 GBP
Auction ends: May 31, 2015 11:24 AM
Offered by: Ebay seller garden*hill, Reading, United Kingdom
Comments: A Duchesse de Bruges narrow scarf with floral design. A little raised work on half-stitch ground, and the flowers are interesting, not a very sophisticated design, but well out of the usual product for this lace. It’s a little on the Bloemwerk side, note the ‘islands’ where the picoted brides meet. Overall it is an effective design.
Provenance:  None cited.
Condition:
Modifications:  None
Damage: Seller cites one break.
Soilage: Seller cites two tiny spots.
Finish:  Slightly wrinkled.

   Sold for 16.76 GBP, 4 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/qcyar6c A LONG VICTORIAN HONITON LACE SHAWL COLLAR WITH THISTLE, SHAMROCK & ROSE MOTIFS
Size: 64″ neckline, 10.75″ deep center back.
Starting Price: 40.00 GBP
Auction ends: May 31, 2015 11:35 AM
Offered by: Ebay seller garden*hill, Reading, United Kingdom
Comments: Note the long feathery leaves in this Honiton collar, which you see  in more advanced work.  The design is still in the snails/slugs style with more traditional roses and thistles.  But it is trying hard to break out of that mode with tightly woven motifs, the woven, picoted brides, and elaborate tally leadwork fillings. Seller notes a few needle-made simple fillings, which is unusual. The raised work on the pinnate leaves is quite elaborate. Viewed as a whole the ‘flower garden’ effect is nicely done.
Provenance:  None cited.
Condition:
Modifications:  None
Damage: Nothing obvious from the photos.
Soilage: Seller cites “soft creamy white”.  Some isolated red spotting, minor.
Finish:  Some soft minor creases.

   Sold for 183.96 GBP, 6 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/nbrbh5w Unusual 18th Valenciennes bobbin lace lappets pair STUDY COLLECT
Size: lappets 22″, center 16″ long.
Starting Price: $195.00
Auction ends: June 1, 2015 11:58 AM
Offered by: Ebay seller lacemerchant, Whiting, Indiana, United States
Comments: A pair of ‘lappets’ of Valenciennes, round hole, approximately 3rd quarter 18th c design.  These were assembled from a narrow border sewn together along the long edge. Parts were cut off and attached to the ends to form a nice termination. I can’t see the center section entirely so hard to say how that was made – but the pattern matching is off. It does use the same pattern of lace.  I think this might have been done in the 19th c because the entire piece is surrounded by a separate picoted edge. This was often done in the 19th c to ‘liven up’ an old lace.
The lace itself is very well done, quite finely woven.
Provenance:  None cited.
Condition:
Modifications:  An assembled piece.
Damage: Nothing obvious from the photos.
Soilage: Looks clean.
Finish:  No obvious creases or wrinkles.

   No bids.

http://tinyurl.com/nupzwq4 Study Piece of 17t5h C. Reticella needle lace
Size: ~21″ x 4″
Starting Price: $41.00
Auction ends: June 1, 2015 6:07 PM
Offered by: Ebay seller lacemerchant, Whiting, Indiana, United States
Comments: A section of an insertion of Reticella.
Modifications:  An assembled piece. Typical three-part construction with a wider band in the center and narrower bands top and bottom. Note the pulled thread work bordering the divisions on the original foundation cloth.  It’s difficult to tell without a microscope, but I think this same cloth is used as the foundation for the Reticella, set up in the process of cutwork (reticella basically means ‘cut cloth’). I would l;ike to have a closer look at the top and bottom edges, not sure if these are selvedges or turned hems.  Usually pieces like this were made as part of table and bed linens, and how the attachment to the rest of the cloth was handled varies a lot.
This piece does have an early feel. Ruskin work in England used many of the same patterns, however the base material was a bit different.
Provenance:  None cited.
Condition:
Modifications:  Cut both ends.
Damage: A few broken brides.
Soilage: Looks clean.
Finish:  No obvious creases or wrinkles.  The buttonhole doesn’t lay particularly flat, but that could be expected of an old piece.

   No bids.

http://tinyurl.com/pr6funx 18th Century Handmade Valenciennes bobbin lace COLLECTOR STUDY yardage
Size: 2-3/4″ and 3″ x 2 yards 19″
Starting Price: $225.00
Auction ends: June 2, 2015 9:01 AM
Offered by: Ebay seller lacemerchant, Whiting, Indiana, United States
Comments: A border of mid 18th c round hole Valenciennes. The two ends are of the same design, while the center section is pieced together from a different lace. Note the separate picot edge, much like the lappets reviewed above. Good line-drawn design with excellent technique.
Provenance:  None cited.
Condition:
Modifications:  Cut both ends, and at least 3 joins in the center, maybe more. Engurelure added to the end pieces.
Damage: Pinholes in the mesh. Center section foot edge a little frayed.
Soilage: Looks clean.
Finish:  Vertical fold creases.

   No bids.

http://tinyurl.com/o3dcgus Antique/vintage pretty Honiton lace handkerchief border
Size: 17.5″ square
Starting Price: 12.00 GBP
Auction ends: June 2, 2015 10:24 AM
Offered by: Ebay seller lacemerchant, Whiting, Indiana, United States
Comments: A Honiton guipure handkerchief border. Snails/slugs style, with woven brides with twisted looped picot edges – unusual. Tightly woven motifs which are almost tape-lace like, given the way the pattern curves around the borders. Good woven tally leadwork fillings. An interesting piece, not so scattered in design as much Honiton.
Provenance:  None cited.
Condition:
Modifications:  None.
Damage: A few frayed edges, minor.
Soilage: Looks clean. Might be some very faint localized stains, hard to tell.
Finish:  No obvious creases or wrinkles.

   Sold for 12.00 GBP, 1 bidder.

http://tinyurl.com/p2ggdca Antique Beautiful! Handmade Needlelace Dress Ham 46×3″ – J.P. Morgan Estate VC24
Size: 3″ x 46″, in a circle.
Starting Price: $295.00 Buy-it-Now
Auction ends: June 2, 2015 11:10 AM
Offered by: Ebay seller lois437, Commerce Township, Michigan, United States
Comments: A border of Venise flat point style needlelace with a bobbin-made engrelure. The edges of the small motifs are nicely buttonholed, and the bride decoration is excellent.  The design appears to be intact, and at first glance it might be a 17th c flat point Venise.  I’m a little bothered by the fine fibers coming off the sides of the motifs, almost fuzzy in appearance. I’m wondering if the thread is cotton, which would not argue for an early piece.  Need to get it under a microscope to tell for certain, but until that happens the date is undetermined.
Provenance:  None cited.
Condition:
Modifications:  Probably a seam somewhere but I can’t find it.  Engrelure added.
Damage: One break on the edge of the engrelure.
Soilage: Looks clean.
Finish:  No obvious creases or wrinkles.

   No bids.

http://tinyurl.com/oyu97xn Antique/vintage Brussels bobbin lace applique lace scarf
Size: None given.
Starting Price: 10.00 GBP
Auction ends: June 2, 2015 11:34 AM
Offered by: Ebay seller derbeatle, Cheltenham, United Kingdom
Comments: Nicely designed narrow scarf of Brussels bobbinlace applique on machine net. Small spray of flowers at each end with a narrow border all around.  Note the extensive esprits in the ground. There are a few needle-made fillings in the end flowers.
Provenance:  None cited.
Condition:
Modifications:  None.
Damage: Many small holes and pinholes in the tulle, with a few repairs.
Soilage: Looks clean.
Finish:  A little wrinkled.

   Sold for 20.90 GBP, 4 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/nwyx9q3 Antique/vintage Brussels bobbin lace applique lace scarf
Size: 21″ diameter.
Starting Price: 10.00 GBP
Auction ends: June 2, 2015 11:34 AM
Offered by: Ebay seller derbeatle, Cheltenham, United Kingdom
Comments: An elaborate Venise needlelace centerpiece, probably 19th or 20th c Italian.  Birds, cupids, urns, it has a rather renaissance style look. Good tight work with a lot of detail done with buttonholed raised lines. The overall design is better thought out than most late Venise.
Provenance:  None cited.
Condition:
Modifications:  None.
Damage: Nothing obvious from the photos.
Soilage: Ecru color.
Finish:  A little wrinkled.

   Sold for $128.50, 4 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/prgcqvl Handmade Needle Lace HUNT SCENE figural panel
Size: ~22.5″ x 10″
Starting Price: $65.00
Auction ends: June 2, 2015 12:52 PM
Offered by: Ebay seller lacemerchant, Whiting, Indiana, United States
Comments: A fun figural needlelace panel of a hunt scene. No idea where this comes from.  The clothwork is tight and smoothly worked.  Given the pattern of the ground it should be possible to identify this piece further, but I’m coming up blank.  The animal being hunted appears to be a deer. If you look at the way the figures are dressed, I’m almost thinking India.
Provenance:  None cited.
Condition:
Modifications:  None.
Damage: Nothing obvious from the photos.
Soilage: Looks clean.
Finish:  Vertical fold creases.  Piece could use blocking.

   Sold for $68.00, 2 bidders.

I’ll do  a second post tomorrow with about 13 more reviews of some outstanding piece.
Laurie