The LaceNews Channel on YouTube – Update for October 2011

Posted on November 2, 2011 by lacenews

http://www.youtube.com/user/lacenews

One hundred eighteen videos and four new playlists were added in the October update, for a current video total of 1,670 in 73 playlists.  A complete pdf of the titles in their correct order for all the playlists can be downloaded at Playlist_Oct_2011.  You can also download my original EXCEL file at Playlist_Oct_2011.  Each of these files has three sections – first a listing of all the videos with the new additions are shown in red. Second, a list of just the new additions.  And finally, a summary of activity in each playlist by month. If you see something that is missing, or if you have suggestions for better organization, please write to lacenews@gmail.com.

Newly added playlists include:
Brazil – Music (5 videos)
Paraguay – Embroidered Net (1 video)
Spain – Music (1 video)
USA – Music (1 video)

Below I summarize  the number of new videos added to existing playlists:
Argentina – Bobbinlace     1
Armenia – Needlelace       1
Australia – Museums       9
Belgium – Bobbinlace       2
Bobbinlace Instruction 1     4
Bobbinlace Instruction 2    4
Brazil Bobbinlace              5
Czech Republic – Bobbinlace   1
Fashion                               2
France – Museums           3
German – Bobbinlace        1
Hungary – Halas                1
Italy – Bobbinlace             10
Italy – Burano                    2
Malta & Gozo – Bobbinlace   2
Poland – Bobbinlace              4
Russia & Belarus – Bobbinlace      3
Spain – Bobbinlace – 1      6
Spain – Bobbinlace – 2      8
Spain – Museums               2
Tatting 1                              7
Tatting 2                             11
Tatting 3                              5
Turkey – Oya                      3
USA – Bobbinlace               1
USA – Museums                  1

Notes on the format:
I split the Bobbinlace Instruction playlist into two since it was exceeding the 200 video limit.   I transferred several of the Brazil – Bobbinlace videos into the new Brazil – Music playlist.
The playlist Update_October_2011, which is now the first one in the channel list, contains all the new videos added for October.  This was a request from LaceNews Channel readers. I’ll probably keep only two consecutive months of these in the future.

Here are a few new interesting things:
– I’ve change the featured video on the LaceNews Channel home page to a piece that gives an update on bobbin lacemaking in L’Aquila, two and a half years after the 2009 earthquake.
– Something a little fun, and a little risqué, the revival of the 1947 musical, La Blanca Doble, in Spain – Music.  If you are having trouble following the words, check out http://tinyurl.com/3d76tgl.
– Speaking of music, I couldn’t resist putting up a good version of the Big Bopper’s Chantilly Lace in USA – Music.
– The “Halas lace and Tue Anh.mp4”  video in Hungary – Halas contains a discussion of needlelace in Vietnam. 240 villages making it? This needs serious followup,

Posted in The LaceNews Channel on YouTube | Leave a comment

Ebay Alerts! Fourteen items – October 30, 2011

Posted on October 30, 2011 by lacenews

http://tinyurl.com/3pspmyn Antique Honiton handmade lace nice size collar
Size: 17″ neck edge, 8.25″ wide
Starting price: 19.99 GBP
Auction ends: Oct 31, 2011 09:30:58 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller discover4, London, United Kingdom
Comments: A fairly wide Honiton collar. The design is a bit confused and looks a little thrown together.  Snails/slugs era, nicely made if you look closely. Good tally fillings.  A little worn, seller cites a few pulls, and there’s something minor going on at the right hand neck edge termination.

   Sold for 22.99 GBP, 3 bidders

http://tinyurl.com/3mm6ng3 Antique Carrickmacross Irish lace lovely long scarf
Size: 8.5″ x 76″
Starting price: 39.99 GBP
Auction ends: Oct 31, 2011 09:44:07 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller discover4, London, United Kingdom
Comments: A Carrickmacross scarf, applique on machine net. The decoration is concentrated at the ends of the scarf, and extends all around the piece as a narrow border.  Typical looped edge, and note both the net embroidery and cutwork fillings. I see some staining in the net and the seller cites a few pulls. But basically good condition.

   Sold for 39.99 GBP, 1 bidder

http://tinyurl.com/3lxkx2h anatique handmade Belgian Point d Gaz Needlelace collar
Size: 1.75″ x 12″
Starting price: $29.99
Auction ends: Nov 01, 2011 22:12:06 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller sirwhitefoot1, Prescott Valley, AZ, United States
Comments: This little collar is quite nice and seems in very good condition. It concentrates on needlelace fillings almost exclusively. It’s a nice change from all those roses.

   No bids.

http://tinyurl.com/44gvnwh Point de Gaze butterfly
Size: 6 cm x 8 cm
Starting price: 48.00 GBP
Auction ends: Nov 02, 2011 00:44:49 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller lunnantiques, London, London, United Kingdom
Comments: Here’s another one of those little 20th century tourist Point de Gaze butterflies that everyone likes so much. Condition on this is a bit off – with something this small the demands on condition do go up.  Some of the border is detached, and there are a few holes in the reseau.   The design is also not too ambitious.  But they are always charming.

   Sold for 48.00 GBP, 1 bidder.

http://tinyurl.com/3rnvzwp COL JABOT ANCIEN DENTELLE CROCHET IRLANDE ? * EN POINTE * 53 x 26 cm * (14)
Size: 26 cm x 53 cm
Starting price: 20.00 EUR
Auction ends: Nov 02, 2011 11:19:49 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller mamou2004, SAINT-GERMAIN-EN-LAYE, France
Comments: I’m going to guess that this isn’t quite as yellow as it looks – probably a filter problem with the camera. The seller is really digging into a hole on the description. It could be Beds, or it could be a kind of Cluny. Not enough details to really get a good look at it. Mainly I’m thinking that the plaiting edge isn’t really Beds, so I’ll go with Cluny. The condition appears quite good, I don’t see any problems.

   No bids.

http://tinyurl.com/3pr5fg4 VINTAGE ANTIQUE LARGE BLACK BEDFORDSHIRE LACE SHAWL
Size: 33″ x 81″
Starting price: 49.50 GBP
Auction ends: Nov 03, 2011 03:43:32 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller hiscocks1953, Monmouth, Monmouthshire, United Kingdom
Comments: I don’t think this is Beds. The form has a real Spanish Mantilla look. You do sometimes see this heavily fringed shawl form in Maltese, but this is not a Maltese lace. Could be French (not Le Puy), but there’s also a Russian product with similar techniques from Nizhni-Novgorod Province.  Pieces like this come up frequently, but we don’t have a very solid attribution. Condition is a bit frayed, but fairly good. I’m not bothered by the join line across the top of the piece.  See the YouTube video at http://tinyurl.com/3jnxcjj.

   No bids.

http://tinyurl.com/3umnvjv VERY PRETTY ANTIQUE HONITON GUIPURE LACE COLLAR
Size: not given
Starting price: 29.99 GBP
Auction ends: Nov 03, 2011 04:42:28 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller PBUR3053, Selkirk, United Kingdom
Comments: It is very pretty.  Snails/slugs Honiton collar in very good condition. There is a border of large flowers around the outside edge, and a looped motif on the neckline. Other motifs are fit in the middle. When I say ‘snails/slugs’, this is indicative of a general style, in fact ‘slug maker’ was a well accepted Honiton specialty. Quality can vary a lot in laces like this, and the design is more aimed at the middle class buyer. This is a very typical example.

   Sold for 36.00 GBP, 2 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3h7syv8 ANTIQUE MIXED BRUSSELS LACE FLOUNCE- POINT DE GAZE INSERTS- 90 INCHES-UNUSED
Size: 7.5″ x 90″
Starting price: 69.99 GBP
Auction ends: Nov 03, 2011 05:04:09 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller PBUR3053, Selkirk, United Kingdom
Comments: I couldn’t resist putting this one up – I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It is a good quality mixed lace, and it’s quite a mixture. The tape is worked in the manner of many 19th c Battenburg or Borris pieces – there are many variations. And there are a few areas where the tape varies in width – I wonder if at least some of it isn’t bobbin-made. Spaces are filled with needlelace stitches, and there’s an interesting double stranded bride that I think is needlelace. Photos aren’t close enough to tell precisely. Then there are the inserts of Point de Gaze with raised petal roses.  The whole thing seems to be a double sided insertion that has been attached to some gauze material on one side. Interesting, and the condition looks very good. It all has a kind of starlike appearance that I like a lot.

   Sold for 101.00 GBP, 4 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3z9mqhw ANTIQUE LAPPET MALTESE LACE TRIM 49″ DOLL DRESSES LINEN MILLINERY BEARS HATS
Size: 2.75″ widest x 49″
Starting price: $0.99
Auction ends: Nov 03, 2011 18:36:02 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller meadowpaint, Carlsbad, California, United States
Comments: This is one of those intdeterminate guipure pieces that could be Spanish or French or German or Russian, or something else. I don’t see anything resembling Beds or Maltese. There is no gimp thread which might be a clue, and it seems to be linen.  Condition is a bit rough, not really from damage, but from the general lay of the piece, like it needs a good wetting and blocking.

   Sold for $3.05, 2 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3jhk6r3 ANTIQUE HANDMADE HONITON LACE LAPPET
Size: 3.75″ x 40.5″
Starting price: $9.99 with reserve
Auction ends: Nov 04, 2011 09:05:22 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller hickory_woods, North Brookfield, Massachusetts, United States
Comments: This doesn’t say Honiton to me, it looks like a Brussels bobbinlace applique on machine net. There are a few needlelace fillings, but not much. It’s not a very sophisticated piece in design or execution, made more for the middle market. The net is is in pretty good shape which counts a lot in a piece like this – just a few tiny holes. The motifs are not very crisp – could be a sign of washing.

   Sold for $60.00, 5 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3tsbw3l ANTIQUE HANDMADE DUCHESSE BOBBIN LACE COLLAR
Size: 19.5″ neckline, 4.5″ center backnec
Starting price: $9.99 with reserve
Auction ends: Nov 04, 2011 09:05:22 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller hickory_woods, North Brookfield, Massachusetts, United States
Comments: A collar that I would put more on the Bruges Bloemerk side than formal Duchesse. There is a little raised work, but no needlelace fillings that I can see.  Condition is very good. Note, photos look taken from the back side.

   $23.50, 3 bidders, reserve not met.

http://tinyurl.com/3jk3yd4 ANTIQUE HANDMADE BOBBIN LACE COLLAR
Size: 17″ neckline, 4.5″ center back
Starting price: $9.99 with reserve
Auction ends: Nov 04, 2011 10:18:58 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller hickory_woods, North Brookfield, Massachusetts, United States
Comments: I think it’s a later 19th c, early 20th c Belgian lace that sometimes goes under the name “Point de Milan”. It is a pieced lace, with an interesting bobbin ground work around the motifs. It’s a modern interpretation of some of the later 17th century Belgian laces. I’m showing a page from an 20th century catalog that has something similar.  I do think the bobbin ground is unusual, usually you see these with a needlelace ground.  The condition looks very good, I don’t see any problems.

   $29.00, 2 bidders, reserve not met.

http://tinyurl.com/3h9j77y  SUPERB TRIM DUCHESSE POINT DE GAZE BRUXELLES LACE 192″
Size: 6.8″ x 192″
Starting price: $199.99 with reserve
Auction ends: Nov 05, 2011 14:41:36 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller elias*123, Boro, Italy
Comments: A Duchesse flounce in a good collectible length. The design is good, rather verticle in style to enhance ruffling. The flowers are quite flat, almost Bruge Bloemwerk, and some thought toward naturalism. The Point de Gaze inserts have no raised rose petals. The condition from the photos looks very good and I don’t see anything obviously wrong. But not everything is photographed in detail.

   $810.00, 5 bidders, reserve not met.

http://tinyurl.com/3atb4nf  Antique point the gaze lace veil / shawl
Size: 17″ x 92″
Starting price: $1,900.00 Buy-it-Now
Auction ends: Nov 17, 2011 19:13:57 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller mammersb, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Comments: A Point de Gaze rectangular scarf which apparently comes with documentation noting an original use as a wedding veil. In the last Alerts we had that wonderful triangular Brussels application shawl (which did extremely well), and now this! We are on a roll. The needlelace fillings in this piece are excellent. Note the little windows in the raised rose petals, a definite mark of a better manufacturer. And the picots around the edge are strung together in imitation of Alençon horsehair.  Condition isn’t bad, but it also isn’t great. The seller notes some staining, which I can’t see well, but I can see a lot of major holes in the net and some repairs. But for a piece like this it isn’t terrible, and the damage does seem to be fairly localized.

   11/5/11, no takers yet.

Posted in Ebay Alerts! | Leave a comment

Auction: Augusta Actions, Specialty Fashion and Textiles – November 2, 2011

Posted on October 28, 2011 by lacenews

Since this auction is coming up so fast I’m moving the post from October 8th back to the front page of LaceNews.  Did you know that Karen Augusta has been doing appraisals for textiles and costumes for the past 9 years on the US version of Antiques Roadshow? Did you ever wonder why lace is never featured? I’ll do a post on that soon.

Specialty Fashion and Textiles – Including Lace from the Marion Powys collection
Date: Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Place: Auditorium, St. Paul’s Church
15 Columbus Avenue (between 59th & 60th), New York
http://www.augusta-auction.com/component/content/article/4-directions/2
Preview: 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM, Tuesday, November 1st and
9:00 AM to Noon, Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Time: Auction begins at noon, November 2, 2011
Web Catalog: http://tinyurl.com/3hdmauo
Final prices will be posted on the website, but this may take several months.
Specialists: Karen E. Augusta, karen@augusta-auction.com, 802-376-9988
Bob Ross, bob@augusta-auction.com, 802-376-7166
Other Phone: 802-463-3333

Karen Augusta regularly holds auctions of costumes and textiles, all of very high quality. This auction is not to be missed by serious lace collectors, and will include items from the Marion Powys collection (1882-1972, see http://tinyurl.com/3kxrnqk for a short biography). It is on consignment from Powys’ granddaughter. In looking at the online catalog, first note that photos will be added up to the day of the auction. Not all the lots will be photographed. Here are comments on a few offerings:
– The five piece Alençon set includes 2 sleeve ruffles, a lappet and cap back set (looking a bit reassembled), what appears to be a scarf, and a few edgings. 3rd quarter 18th c. The pattern does seem to match in all the pieces – but the set has seen better days.
Est $800 to $1,200.
– Quite an elaborate Brussels application veil with a lily design with unusual layered flounces at the back. Comes with provenance. Nice. 102″ x 119″.
Est $800 to $1,200.
– A rectangular bobbin/needle application veil, quite an elaborate design. 53″ x 108″.
Est $800 to $1,200.  (I think there’s a pattern here)
There seem to be about 25 other lace lots, and photos are gradually coming online. One is described as a bobbinlace application collar made for Anne Lindbergh including a design of bi-planes (est. $200-$300) Powys made this piece. And the very last lot (as of this writing) appears to be a triangular Valenciennes de Gand shawl, 44″ x 110″, from the Brooklyn Museum.  Est. $800 to $1,200.

Bidding: Here are details from Karen, sent to me on October 15th. Note, more photos will appear in the next week:
The absentee/phone (written) bid forms will be posted on our website later
this week, at the same time the lot numbers are posted. You may participate
in the sale by phone or left (absentee) bid. Once those forms are posted,
you may fill one out and fax it to our posted Fax number.  Our buyers
premium is 20% of the auction hammer price.  We also offer internet bidding.
– that information will also be on our website at the same time lot numbers
and bid forms appear.

The next Augusta Auctions sale will be held Wednesday, March 21, 2012.

Posted in Auctions | 1 Comment

Ebay Alerts! Ten items – October 27, 2011

Posted on October 27, 2011 by lacenews

http://tinyurl.com/3zl7adn Antique Rococo handmade lace lovely Bertha collar
Size: 40″ inside edge, 5.5″ wide
Starting price: 39.99 GBP
Auction ends: Oct 27, 2011 08:20:55 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller discover4, London, United Kingdom
Comments: This auction will probably be over by the time I get th is posted, but I wanted to discuss something. Is this Italian Cantu or Belgian Rococo? The designs for both are very similar, including both the hook and the 3 or 5 petal flowers.  But there are important technical differences, and I’ll have to call this one Cantu. Cantu lace conserves the number of threads throughout the piece, handling excess threads by bundling them to the side of the motifs and tapes. There is no footside edge to tapes, it has a simple turning stitch and no pin support along the edges. Rococo has a footside on both sides of the tapes, and threads are cut off or added as they are needed. No bundling. There aren’t a lot of closeups of this piece, but the lack of footside edgings on the tape is obvious. The condition looks good, maybe just a little worn.

   Sold for 44.00 GBP, 2 bidders

http://tinyurl.com/44rc5oj gorgeous antique brussels handworked applied bobbin lace wedding stole /veil
Size: ~18″ at lower edges, x 96″
Starting price: 50.00 GBP with reserve
Auction ends: Oct 28, 2011 04:32:57 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller reddolly123, nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom
Comments: A rectangular shawl of Brussels bobbinlace application on machine net. Note the extra touch of the small dots in the ground around the ends. A nice design of flowers, leaves and ribbons, well filled out on the ends where it counts the most for a shawl. There aren’t enough closeup details, but I’m wondering if there isn’t a little net embroidery used as fillings in some of the empty spaces. Seller cites a few tiny holes and some brown spots – generally good condition.

   Sold for 123.00 GBP, 6 bidders

http://tinyurl.com/3hpml7x ANTIQUE LA.CE-LOVELY 19THC. IRISH NEEDLERUN WEDDING VEIL
Size: 54-56″, I assume it is square.
Starting price: $75.00
Auction ends: Oct 30, 2011 08:16:21 PDT
Offered by: Maria Niforos, Ebay seller mithya, London-New York, United States
Comments: A very good embroidered net shawl. The design is quite lovely and very well done. Irish? Maybe, I’m not sure. There are some condition issues, a few holes and repairs. I don’t often put this kind of lace up on the alerts, but this one really jumped out at me.

   Sold for $81.00, 2 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3r3l9o8 ANTIQUE LACE-CIRCA 17-18THC. BOBBIN LACE
Size: 7.5″ X 42″
Starting price: $35.00
Auction ends: Oct 30, 2011 08:37:03 PDT
Offered by: Maria Niforos, Ebay seller mithya, London-New York, United States
Comments: Probably a late 17th century Flemish border. It is a pieced lace with a plaited ground added later – you can see threads being carried over at the back of the motifs. The motifs have a bit of a tape-like appearance, and aren’t too dissimilar from the ‘rococo’ techniques discussed in the Cantu collar item at the beginning of this post. Condition is problematic – one edge is pretty rough, adn this seems to have been washed a few times over its life.

   Sold for $36.00, 2 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3p8l5mb ANTIQUE LACE- 94″ OFEARLY INSERTION , SCALLOPED LACE
Size: 6″ X 94″
Starting price: $65.00
Auction ends: Oct 30, 2011 08:39:43 PDT
Offered by: Maria Niforos, Ebay seller mithya, London-New York, United States
Comments: A reticella insertion with a bobbinlace border. The reticella part looks like it retains the original linen next to the bobbinlace, the other edge looks cut with another piece attached. The bobbinlace has many of the marks of Genoese production, including feeding all the threads into the straight border as the work winds up and down along the pattern. Neither of these elements is of the highest quality, and the match between the two designs isn’t the best. I hesitate to put a date here, and other than a probably Italian origin, it’s difficult to say. The pieces could have been married later. Still, it’s a good collectible length containing two important techniques. Condition is OK, you can spot a few loose areas in both. And the reticella looks a little thin and straggly in places. But it is interesting, Angharad Rixon did some excellent Scanning Electron Microscope research in 2000, published as “A Fault in the Thread? Examining Fibers Taken from Laces of the Sixteenth and Seventh Centuries”, in which she found a substantial amount of cotton combined with the linen in just this kind of early lace.

   Sold for $66.00, 2 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3bsxfv7 ANTIQUE LACE-BRUSSELS POINT DE GAZE COLLAR
Size: 4.5″ X 23.5″
Starting price: $39.99
Auction ends: Oct 30, 2011 08:55:42 PDT
Offered by: Maria Niforos, Ebay seller mithya, London-New York, United States
Comments: A small Point de Gaze collar in excellent condition. the design looks quite good from a distance, closeup the technique is fairly ordinary. It does have linked picots on the outer edge done in imitation of Alençon horshair – that’s the sign of a better manufacturer.

   Sold for $47.00, 3 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3gskubj Stunning Silk Maltese Lace Handkerchief
Size: 12.00″ square
Starting price: 5.00 GBP
Auction ends: Oct 30, 2011 09:39:06 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller supa-troopa, London-New York, United States
Comments: The large Maltese cross in the center of this handkerchief is a little touristy, but the lace is actually quite nice. The guipure work is interesting, and more varied than one usually finds in Maltese.  Given the size, I think the work is finer than it looks.  Condition of the lace is quite good, but you can see some stains in the cloth.

   Sold for 25.00 GBP, 6 bidders

http://tinyurl.com/3cmvauj Antique French Duvelleroy w Faux Tortorse And Lace Fan
Size: 13.5″ long, 25″ unfolded. It’s a fairly large piece.
Starting price: 5.00 GBP
Auction ends: Oct 30, 2011 18:48:09 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller mcantique, Rehoboth,Massachusetts, United States
Comments: The Chantilly lace on this fan looks very well done. There are no detailed photos of the outside edge, and I think it matches the rest of the leaf. You have to stare a while to really be sure.  Nice faux tortoiseshell sticks, and the Duvelleroy box is a sign of a high quality product. Condition looks very good, I don’t see anything wrong with the lace, although the seller cites some small stains. Even the box looks nice.

   Sold for $187.50, 8 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3jpgbqr Antique Alencon needle lace 1850’s lovely length
Size: 5.5″ x 75″
Starting price: 59.99 GBP
Auction ends: Oct 31, 2011 08:52:58 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller discover4, London, United Kingdom
Comments: A lovely lace and quite finely worked. It looks like brides tortillée with the regular reseau along the edge. Not an uncommon combination for late 18th early 19th century laces. The straight edge, and the use of shading I think puts this in the Napoleonic era. It is a good collectible length, with just a few small holes along most of the length. One end has a few larger holes, but it’s not serious.

   Sold for 79.00 GBP, 2 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3lmksej Antique lovely Brussels lace handkerchief
Size: 11″ x 11.5″
Starting price: 29.99 GBP
Auction ends: Oct 31, 2011 09:00:57 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller discover4, London, United Kingdom
Comments: A Duchesse handkerchief, nicely worked. No needlelace that I can see, but there is a good amount of raised work in the bobbinlace. There is also a well-done  monogram in the center cloth. Seller cites a few minor pulls in the lace, overall quite good condition.

   Sold for 37.00 GBP, 5 bidders.

Posted in Ebay Alerts! | Leave a comment

Lace Event USA: The Metro Chapter of the IOLI Lace Day and Classes – November 5-6, 2011

Posted on October 26, 2011 by lacenews

The Metro Chapter of the IOLI Lace Day and Classes
Date: Saturday and Sunday, November 5-6, 2011
Place: Elks BPO Westwood Lodge
505 Kinderkamack Road, Westwood, New Jersey 07675
Time: November 5th – 10AM to 3PM
November 6th classes – 9AM to 4PM
Web Site: http://www.metropolitanchapterioli.org/styled-2/
Contacts:  Jude Lamp, president, ewlamp@bellatlantic.net
Regina Haring, rmharing@gmail.com

Saturday Class: Children’s beginning lace class from 1:00 to 3:00. ($5.00 class fee) Children must bring an adult of their own choice.
Saturday Vending: Kathy Kirchner and Lacy Susan
This will be the last show done by Susan Wenzel (Lacy Susan). Her company has been sold to a new owner in Colorado.
Saturday Exhibition: An exhibition of the Metro Chapter member’s work featuring lace traditions of many countries is free to the public.

Sunday Classes:
Lynda Barber, “Beginning Lace Making forAdults”  ($25 class fee, $20 kit fee to purchase or $5.00 to rent) No previous skills required.
Pat Morris, “Schneeberger Lace”  ($35.00 class fee)  Advanced beginner skills and ability to read a diagram. Students must provide lacemaking materials, see web site.
Mayra Petretti, “”Milanese Lace” ($35.00 class fee) Intermediate lace skills, ability to read and follow diagrams, sewings. Students must provide lacemaking materials, see web site.
Sunday Lace and Lunch:  Bring your own project and enjoy lunch and fellowship  ($15.00)

Posted in USA | Leave a comment

Fine Art: Vermeer’s Lacemaker copied by Salvador Dali

Posted on October 24, 2011 by lacenews

Oil on canvas. 23.5 x 19.7 cm. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

How, in the space of a paragraph or two, can anyone describe the Salvador Dali (5/11/04 – 1/23/89) interpretations of Vermeer’s Lacemaker?  Let me delve into surrealism for a brief try.  A copy of the original had hung in his father’s study, and his obsession with the painting showed up as early as 1928 in the 16 minute silent surrealist film, “An Andalusian Dog”. It is the image in the book the Wife is reading. Jump to the 1950’s, and Dali is in the midst of his Atomic Period seeking a melding of science and religion to prove the existence of God. He asserted, for example, that the Virgin Mary called on the annihilation energy of anti-protons to ascend to heaven. As a physicist, I can assure you that his Atomic Period ideas don’t pass the critical laugh test, but they do seem to have stimulated his thoughts on geometry. The rhinoceros horn is in the form of a logarithmic spiral, a biologically recognized pattern controlled by different growth rates in various parts of the horn. In the rhino this results in a curved horn. In a narwhal, it is more of a candy-cane spiral; Dali uses both forms in his work. He said that he adopted the logarithmic spiral the same way that Leonardo adopted the egg shape, Ingres spheres and Cézanne, cubes and cylinders. He discusses the concept in his book, “50 Secrets of Magic Craftsmanship” written in 1948, and asserts that he ‘discovered’ the ubiquity of the rhinoceros horn on July 5, 1952. This implies that all the curved surfaces of the human body can be decomposed into logarithmic spirals. Be patient, this will all come together in the next paragraph.

The Met’s copy was originally provided to collector Robert Lehman, who had asked Dali to do one because he couldn’t get his own authentic Vermeer. Note the rather liquid, typically Dalic treatment of the blue cloth on the lace pillow – quite an exaggeration over the original. And look at her face, it is harder, maybe a bit devilish. The work is dated 1954-1955, which is a little puzzling. In 1955 Dali asked permission of the Louvre to study the original painting and at that time he did a deconstruction of the image into rhinoceros horns, and several other works. It isn’t clear if the Lehman copy was painted or perhaps started before that event. Whatever the origin, Dali is said to have reproduced the Lacemaker in various forms 50 times (or less, that’s also not clear). He said about the work, “Up until now, the Lacemaker has always been considered a very peaceful, very calm painting, but for me, it is possessed by the most violent aesthetic power, to which only the recently discovered antiproton can be compared.” He then proceeds to elevate the rhinoceros and the Lacemaker to an image of divine chastity, not unlike the association of the unicorn with the Virgin Mary.  Let’s forgo the discussion of the sexual aspects of all of this, which people sometimes get into. You can see parts of his unfinished film with Robert Descharnes, “The Prodigious Adventure of the Lacemaker and the Rhinoceros”, 1954-1962, on Utube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbhzowNipuk. The full film is supposed to have documented the process of creating the lacemaker works, but it has never been released. As you watch the clips, keep in mind his quote “…the first time I saw a photograph of the Lacemaker and a live rhinoceros together, I realized that if there should be a battle, the Lacemaker would win, because the Lacemaker is morphologically a rhinoceros horn.”

I don’t know what became of all the other works based on the Lacemaker, but three of the better known ones are shown below.


The Paranoiac-Critical Study of Vermeer’s Lacemaker, by Salvador Dali. 1955. Oil on canvas. 27.1 x 22 1 cm. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY, USA.  Painted at the Paris zoo.


Rhinocerotic Portrait of Vermeer’s “Lacemaker”, by Salvador Dali. 1955. Private collection.


Rhinocerotic Bust of Vermeer’s “Lacemaker”, by Salvador Dali. 1955. Patinated plaster, private collection. I think this is a really nice piece, rhino horns or not.

In conclusion, I don’t think that Vermeer has anything to worry about.

########################################
8/19/2015  I’d like to add a comment. Maybe I’m a bit to harsh on Dali with the rhino horns. Afterall, decomposition of surfaces into tetrahedral meshes is a standard graphics technique today. If Dali sees something three-dimensional in such a process, who am I to question?

Posted in Fine Art in Historic Works | 1 Comment

Fine Art: Vermeer’s Lost Lacemaker

Posted on October 24, 2011 by lacenews

A work by master forger, Han van Meergren, c 1925. It proports to be a lost Vermeer painting of a lacemaker which was sold in 1816 and never seen again. The ‘rediscovered’ painting was sold to art dealer Joseph Duveen around 1928. Duveen sold it on to Andrew Mellon, who donated it to the Washington National Gallery of Art where it remains today. The original price for this forgery was over one million in today’s currency.

We only know of 35 works by Vermeer, so the sudden appearance of an unknown original would be a major event. This can only invite deceit, and Han van Meergren (1889-1947) is prime on the list of suspects as the artist who produced this work.  The Lace Maker was painted ~1925, and might have been a legitimate attempt by van Meergren at interpreting Vermeer’s style, since he produced number of  paintings ‘in the style’ of masters like Frans Hals around that time. But his works were so good that they quickly found their way into the legitimate art market eager for a new discovery. A particularly scathing review pointing out the lack of originality in his own work apparently set him on the path to serious forgery. He used authentic 17th century canvas and duplicated paints from contemporary ingredients and formulas. Paintings would be baked upon completion to set the paint, then rolled to increase cracking. Through the years his works started to sell as originals, earning him around $25-30 million in today’s currency. One of them, “Christ with the Adulteress” ended up in the collection of Herman Göring, and was discovered along with other paintings looted by the Nazis after the war. In the process of trying to prove a Vermeer provenance, the painting was traced back to van Meergren, and he was arrested as a Nazi collaborator. He was tried in Amsterdam, the charge didn’t stick, but he was sentenced to one year for forgery. It was time never served, since he died shortly after the sentence was issued.

The primary criticism of van Meergren’s Lace Maker is that she looks far too modern. This is not the daughter of the new Dutch merchant class of the 17th century intent on her lace. It looks more like someone who wants to get up and dance.

Posted in Fine Art in Historic Works | 4 Comments

Fine Art: Vermeer’s Lacemaker

Posted on October 24, 2011 by lacenews


Figure 1. This print is from my collection and measures 7” x 8-5/8”. It is very difficult to find a print of this piece that is true to all the colors and details – this one isn’t bad. The holes along the side of the stand are more obscure than in other reproductions.

When sold at auction in 1696, the catalog listed this painting as “demoiselle faisant de la dentelle aux fuseaux”. If Vermeer ever gave it a name, it is now lost. Most people do not realize how small this work actually is 8-1/4” x 9-5/8”. It was acquired by Napoleon III and given to the Louvre in April, 1870. You can see the framed original at: http://www.essentialvermeer.com/framed/framed_lacemaker.html. This site also has a nice interactive feature where you can move your cursor over the painting and bring up commentary.

The following comments are summarized from the excellent Vermeer site, http://www.essentialvermeer.com/index.html.  Joannis, Johannes, or Jan Vermeer was born in Delft in October 1632, and died in there in December 1675. Only the dates of his baptism (Oct 31, 1632), and burial (December 16, 1675) are actually known. The Lacemaker was painted between 1669-1671, oil on canvas. The signature on the painting is much faded, and is located on the right, halfway between the woman and the canvas edge, about the level of her hairline. It is thought that the lacemaker might be one of Vermeer’s daughters, Maria or Elizabeth, and the  sitter is quite similar to the woman in Vermeer’s “A Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid”. The tapestry on the table is thought to be of Belgian manufacture, and was used in two other Vermeer paintings, “The Love Letter” and “The Astronomer”.  The foreground threads are rather diffuse, perhaps implying the use of a camera obscura. The book next to the cushion might be a prayer book – the binding seems to have been tied together with two ribbons. The blue cushion with white stripes and corner tassels is a sewing cushion (naaikussen), with threads spilling out of an interior compartment. In another Vermeer painting, “The Love Letter”, the cushion on the floor next to the clothes hamper may be a lacemaking pillow. Or it may be the sewing cushion used in “The Lacemaker”.

  
Figure 2. Other Vermeer works with potential lacemaking connections.
Left: Vemeer’s “The Love Letter”. Is that a lace pillow just below the basket to the left? The same tapestry is also used as a curtain draped to the side.
Right: It is also speculated that there is a lacemaker in the doorway in the Vermeer painting “The Little Street”. She could also just be sewing with the aid of a naaikussen.

Let me followup with a few comments of my own.  Commentators never address the actual lacemaking aspects of the painting, but there is no reason that the lace community cannot.

This is not a servant girl, I’d expect her hair to be covered, and a less fancy dress. Vermeer was married in 1653, so if the sitter is one of his daughters, she would have been less than ~15 years old. Whoever it is, she does seem to have experience at a lacemaking pillow.

One of the most famous things about this painting are the two threads from the bobbins to the pillow – the hand movements seem to be genuine. The position of the lower bobbin between her first and second fingers might indicate that the working position of the hands is more like the flat-handed traveling hand position that the best Belgian lacemakers use. All she has to do is turn her left hand slightly to bring the bobbins up to this position. Is her wrist supported on the pillow to help with the thread tension? It would be unusual for an experienced lacemaker to allow any part of her hands to touch the work, so probably not. Too bad we can’t see the ends of the bobbins – so frustratingly close (it is possible that the bulb end of one is just visible behind the three on the pillow). Bobbins were found in the 1629 shipwreck of the Dutch East India ship the Batavia off the western Australian coast show two options for roughly contemporary bobbins. Someone should compare measurements of bobbin length here to see if it is reasonable. Her head seems bent a bit low, but that might be artistic license.

Since this post was first published several lacemakers in the Arachne listserver have discussed the issue of her right hand. Is she taking out a pin, or putting one in the pattern? The consensus appears that she is ‘putting up’ a pin after having moved it from the back of the work. The tension on the famous threads from the bobbins in her left hand will allow a better view of the pinhole in the pattern.

Another thing of note is the design of the pillow itself. It appears to be quite similar to the Belgian 2-part rounded cushion – there seems to be a drawer in the upper part, and the base is not inconsistent with 19th-20th century examples. Even the fluting on the edges is seen in some 20th century examples, at least on the lower base. In the painting there is also fluting on straight line of pillow itself, and it is interrupted by the stand. How mechanically this might have been done is a little unclear. There is no sign of the holes for an extension in the pillow part, which probably hadn’t been in use at this time. I don’t know what to make of the little rectangular hole in the base of the pillow. The curve of the pillow seems more than modern examples, and the base seems a little higher, but that is also seen in many contemporary lacemaker paintings of this period. I don’t think there’s any reason not to believe that the base is a wedge and tapers toward the lacemaker.


Figure 3. Note the fluted treatment at the bottom of the stand on this early 20th century Belgian pillow. Vermeer’s painting shows the same thing. It would seem a bit difficult to put similar fluting along the lower line of the pillow – so the construction of that part is a bit puzzling in the painting.  The two slots next to the drawer are meant to accept the tines from an extension to the cushion, giving the lacemaker more room to work. The extension can be positioned at the top or the bottom of the pillow, and here is barely visible at the top of the photo.

We don’t know what kind of lace she is making – her collar seems to be a Flemish continuous guipure, consistent with the time period. I love how the collar flares up a bit just over her right shoulder (to the left in the painting). I always think of lace collars of this period as lying completely flat and stiff, but this touch gives it a lightness and flexibility that is unexpected.  As for the lace on the pillow, it may be that the pinkish part draping off the center of the pillow is headed for a rollup in the drawer. It does seem a bit too wide to be consistent with what little of the lace you can see, and it’s a bit hard to believe she is making pink lace. Perhaps the blue cloth is just a cover cloth for the pillow, which could be that color, and the actual lace is further back. The pink could also be part of the pattern, but that doesn’t make much sense. Seeing white threads on pink would be difficult, and lacemaking patterns don’t normally slop over the edge of the pillow.  There are not masses of pins, and I think too much has been made in the past of the scarcity of pins at this period in time – a sharpened thin brass wire works just fine and that would have been easy to produce in quantity. She also is not using many bobbins, and it is possible that a fourth one is visible just behind the three on the cushion. But a Flemish tape-based lace of this period wouldn’t need many bobbins, and could still be quite complex.

The stand is probably adjustable, although it is fairly simple. Note the holes going down the side of the post which could be used to set the height – look closely, they are hard to see in the print that I have posted. There are rare examples of this type of pillar stand in modern collections, see the figure below.

  
Figure 4. This figure shows two stands from my collection. At the left is a pillar stand with hinged shelf that can slide up and down the post. The post is fairly flat, nicely carved at the top, and has holes going down the backside into which you can insert a pin to stop the shelf. The base has a big slug of exposed lead inset into the underside, making it quite stable, but somewhat of a hazard to have around the house. It seems fairly consistent with the type of stand portrayed in Vermeer’s Lacemaker.
This stand works quite differently from the more commonly seen Belgian ratchet stand shown on the right (no lead in that one), although the purpose is the same.

I’m a little puzzled by her skirt at the lower right. It seems a bit farther out than necessary – she might be cradling the pillow between her knees as well as relying on the support stand. In fact the lower right of the picture doesn’t seem to be quite up to the quality of the rest of the image.  And what is happening between the base of the pillow and the support stand? It doesn’t make a lot of sense. This is a later work of Vermeer, and apparently he is deliberately abstracting certain aspects of the painting – this is probably what is going on.

Posted in Fine Art in Historic Works | 4 Comments

Lace Exhibition: Vermeer’s Lacemaker, Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge – October 5, 2011 to January 15, 2012

Posted on October 24, 2011 by lacenews

Vermeer’s Women: Secrets and Silence
Dates: October 5, 2011 to January 15, 2011
Sponsor: ‘The Lacemaker’ (c. 1669-1671) is on loan from the Louvre Museum.
Other Vermeer works in the exhibition include:
“The Music Lesson” (c.1662-5) on loan from The Royal Collection
“A Young Woman Seated at a Virginal” (c.1670) from the National Gallery, London.
“Young Woman Seated at a Virginal”, from a private collection, New York.
Twenty-eight other Dutch paintings featuring women are also on display.
Location: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Trumpington Street, Cambridge, UK
directions can be found at http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/visit/gettinghere.htm
Web site: http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/whatson/exhibitions/article.html?2793
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday: 10:00–17:00
Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays:: 12:00–17:00
CLOSED: Mondays, Good Friday and 29 April 2011
Admission fee: Admission is free.

(Note, I have revised this post since the first publication to concentrate just on the Fitzwilliam exhibition. The detailed discussion of the painting is now in a new post in the ‘Fine Art’ category.)

The Fitzwilliam exhibition also includes Nicholas Mae’s “Young Woman Sewing” (1665).

Posted in Exhibitions | Leave a comment

Ebay Alerts! Twelve items – October 23, 2011

Posted on October 23, 2011 by lacenews

http://tinyurl.com/3rtcyng 19thc Brussels Lace Hanky Mouchoir Dentelle application Bruxelles
Size: 11″s quare
Starting price: $59.00
Auction ends: Oct 24, 201119:43:49 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller sirjle, PARIS, France
Comments: A Brussels application on machine net handkerchief. These don’t come along too often; this technique was normally reserved for larger pieces. To carry it off well in this format the motifs have to be quite small and well worked. This one is a bit sloppy in design – it doesn’t seem to be trying very hard.  It is also a little worse for the wear. I see several small holes in the net and some stains in the cloth.

   Sold for $102.50, 5 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3hmo3ph Lovely Antique Handmade Lace and Mother of Pearl Fan
Size: 14″ long
Starting price: 9.99 GBP
Auction ends: Oct 25, 2011 12:00:24 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller baraud, Newton Abbot, United Kingdom
Comments: The lace on this fan is quite good – a Brussels Duchesse with an interesting Point de Gaz inset. The bobbin motifs are small and well done. This is a bit surprising because the fan has MOP sticks, and for lace of this quality I’d expect a better setting. I’m not a fan collector, so I don’t pay much attention to the condition of the sticks – I suppose the missing one could be replaced. Seller cits a few loose brides in the lace and some discoloration, but overall good condition.

   Sold for 97.00 GBP, 6 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3l2g7ak Dutch/Flemish lace cap.Dutch/flemish potten -kant
Size: not given
Starting price: $9.99 with reserve
Auction ends: Oct 25, 2011 15:04:14
Offered by: Ebay seller calicogre, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Comments: I’ve been speaking with the seller who is a respected lace collector, so please keep your eye on her listings in the future. I’ve seen two other similar caps for sale privately very recently, and I think this is a subject about which lace collectors should learn more. I don’t know much about them, but I do know they are fairly rare. The lace and the skirt lay on the shoulders at the back of the head. At the front around the face is a drawstring. The use of potten-kant could argue for an early date, around 1800. The skirt uses a net tulle which I assume is machine-made, and it gathers beautifully. The lace is an insertion with some damage. Also some repair to the peak of the cap.  As caps these pieces are wonderfully elegant.

   $20.51, 2 bidders, reserve not met.

http://tinyurl.com/3k3ob3f Vintage Antique Honiton Bobbin Lace collar Collection of Author Marian Powys
Size: 2.25″ wide, 13″ inside neck
Starting price: $395.00 Buy-it-Now or Make Offer
Auction ends: Oct 25, 2011 15:49:20 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller twist-in-time, Philadelphia / DFW, United States
Comments: A honiton collar with a good try at left-right symmetry. It is a better quality piece that you can fine from the mid 19th century on – definitely an advance on the snails/slugs genre. the motifs are small and delicate, with good areas of tally grids as fillings. The design is a bit confused, and there is some staining and general wear. There is a little fraying in places.

   No bids.

http://tinyurl.com/3dkxra6 SUPERB LG HM Antique Vtg BRUSSELS POINT DE GAZE LACE BERTHA COLLAR
Size: 5.5″ wide, 41″ neckline, 81″ outside edge
Starting price: $49.99
Auction ends: Oct 25, 2011 18:01:17 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller adtjmd, RED VELVET BENCH, United States
Comments: A Brussels Duchesse bertha, layered petal roses in the point de gaze inserts. Conventional design overall. A few pinoles in the point de gaze net, otherwise things look good. The photos aren’t detailed enough to show, but there does seem to be an issue at on end of the piece (look upper right in the photo). This end does not match the other end of the piece, there’s a row of small buds missing.

   sold for $112.50, 1 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3cjeguh HandMade Antique Vtg BRUSSELS POINT DE GAZE LACE COLLAR DRESS FRONT
Size: 15.5″ x 18.5″. ”
Starting price: $29.99
Auction ends: Oct 25, 2011 18:04:43 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller adtjmd, RED VELVET BENCH, United States
Comments: A Brussels Duchesse dress front collar. Point de gaze inserts have some nice fillings, no raised roses for once. They chose a different flower. In fact there’s little raised work in the bobbinlace, putting it more on the Bruges side. Overall quite a nice piece, in very good condition, maybe a small spot here and there.

   Sold for $91.00, 4 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3gjjmvy Antique Floral Lace Wedding Hanky Hankie Handkerchief Point De Gaze Ecru WOW OLD
Size: 12″ x 11.75-12″
Starting price: $249.95
Auction ends: Oct 25, 2011 18:06:54 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller jpmg91, Midwest, United States
Comments: A very good Point deGaze handkerchief with multiple raised petal roses. Some nice fillings, but they are not used as major design elements. The design is fairly crowded, and when it was new it must have been quite impressive. But it has definitely seen better days. Let’s just call it well-used. The wrinkling is a sign of multiple washings, and is particularly noticeable along the edges. Nevertheless, the lace is is pretty good shape, just some small holes in the net.

   sold for $249.95, 1 bidder.

http://tinyurl.com/3zlonk2 Handmade Brussels Duchesse Lace Handkerchief c. early 1800’s
Size: 13.5″ square
Starting price: $99.99 with reserve
Auction ends: Oct 26, 2011 06:23:21 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller sugarbaby2011, The North Pole, Canada
Comments: This is an interesting piece.  Duchesse, probably Brussels, but there are no Point de Gaze inserts. Where these should be are some fairly elaborate bobbinlace motifs. The closeups are very fuzzy, but I can see some raised work, and fine detail in the bobbinlace. There doesn’t appear to be any needlelace at all. This is very unusual.  I see a few holes in the lace, and the seller relates some adventures with ironing. I’d say it’s later 19th century.

   $99.99, 1 bidder, reserve not met.

http://tinyurl.com/3jnfkgf EARLY RARE WHITE HAND CHANTILLY LACE BERTHA COLLAR
Size: 9″ x 45″
Starting price: $29.99 with reserve
Auction ends: Oct 26, 2011 09:31:44 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller heartnsoul1, Hollis, New Hampshire, United States
Comments: Chantilly would not be my first choice on this  (no half stitch). A Swiss Neuchatel is a possibility. Although the fillings aren’t quite as ‘star-like’ as one might expect for a Swiss piece. It’s a mystery.  It seems a bit wide for a bertha collar, and the needed curve doesn’t jump out at me. There is obvious damage on the center neck edge. I’m also a bit bothered by the breakdown in design symmetry in that area. Maybe it started life as a scarf?

$24.99, 1 bidder, reserve not met.

http://tinyurl.com/3g7pmlh Antique Point de Venise handmade needlelace lovely high collar bodice piece
Size: 14″ inside neck, 7.75″ center width excluding neckpiece. 13.75″ width
Starting price: 49.99 GBP
Auction ends: Oct 26, 2011 09:59:33 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller discover4, London, United Kingdom
Comments: A Belgian Venise needlelace collar with attached neckpiece. Two cuffs would have come with the original. Belgian pieces aren’t difficult to identify – there’s great similarity with Point de Gaze techniques. Especially in the clothwork and the loose spacing of buttonholes covering the cordonnet. This piece has a good bold design and is in very good shape – seller cites a few stains, but nothing major.

   No bids.

http://tinyurl.com/4378yf9 Antique Brussels lace with Point de Gaze inserts lovely wide length
Size: 6″ x 66″
Starting price: 59.99 GBP
Auction ends: Oct 27, 201107:59:52 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller discover4, London, United Kingdom
Comments: A good Brussels Duchesse flounce in a collectible length. The Point de Gaze inserts are well done with a good raised petal rose.  The bobbinlace is pretty standard, but the whole thing is well put together.  A few broken brides is all I can see.

   Sold for 87.00 GBP, 3 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/3nzxaaf HUGE 120″ Antique NET LACE Shawl Veil BRUSSELS LACE ~Wedding, Bridal, Craft
Size:120″
Starting price: $9.99
Auction ends: Oct 29, 2011 10:33:05 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller things*most*delightful, Sacramento, California, United States
Comments: I wish I could always end an Ebay Alert post so nicely. A large mid 19th century shawl of Brussels application on machine net – bobbinlace motifs with a few needlelace accents. These shawls were designed to drape over the 2nd Empire circular and later oval hoop skirts. This one is quite lovely, with well made bobbinlace work. The design isn’t quite as over-the-top as you sometimes see, but is more than acceptable. I spot a few holes mainly near where motifs are attached to the net. But overall it’s in surprisingly good condition. It’s been a few years since something like this came up on Ebay.

   Sold for $2,425.00,  18 bidders.

Posted in Ebay Alerts! | Leave a comment