NEWS FLASH! – International Californian Poppy Exhibition New Venue – April 5-7, 2011

Posted on March 18, 2011 by lacenews

Pompi Parry and I are pleased to announce that the International Poppy Exhibition will be on display at the New Greenham Arts Centre, 113 Lindenmuth Way, New Greenham Park, Newbury, Berkshire RG19 6HN during the 3 days of workshops  being held Tuesday 5th – Thursday 7th April 2011. Opening times 10am – 5pm daily. Whilst it is not quite what we had originally planned, we do hope that many of you will be able to come and see this award winning International Exhibition of work by many well known International Lacemakers.
Catherine Barley

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Lace Exhibition: Op Het Eerste Gezicht …de andere Kant – January 21 to April 10, 2011

Posted on March 18, 2011 by lacenews

Op Het Eerste Gezicht …de andere Kant
Dates: January 21 to April 10, 2011
Sponsor: Organisation Internationale de la Dentelle au Fuseau et à l’Aguille (OIDFA), Belgian Branch
Location: Museum Het Toreke
Grote Markt , 6 – 3300 Tienen – Begium
Tel: 016 80 56 86
Web site: http://tinyurl.com/4gm5f68
Hours: Open: daily (except Mon.) from 10.00 to 17.00 hours. Ticket sale ends at 16.00.
Admission fee: € 4 per person, € 2 group rate. Guided tours available by appointment.

This exhibition of contemporary lace was organized by Greet Rome of the Belgian branch of OIDFA. Three-dimensional lace works are shown together with the museum’s permanent painting collection. Tienen is in the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flanders region of Belgium. This museum itself is housed in the former city jail, and was built in 1848.

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Lace Exhibition: Dentelles et Haute couture, Inspirations… – November 26, 2010 to March 20, 2011

Posted on March 18, 2011 by lacenews

Dentelles et Haute couture, Inspirations…
Dates: November 26, 2010 to March 20, 2011
Location: Le Musée de Textile du Cholet
Rue du Dr Roux – 49300 Cholet
Tel: 02 41 75 25 40
Email: museetextile@ville-cholet.fr
Web site: http://tinyurl.com/4dqynw9
Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 10:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 18:00
Admission fee: 1.50 EUR, Group rates available. Students, teachers, and researchers free.

Cholet in western France was famous for textile manufacture, especially linen. The Textile Museum is located in a building built in 1881 formerly used for bleaching and finishing fabric.

Five years ago the association of the Friends of the Cholet Museums issued a challenge to create dresses using handmade lace, basing the ideas on a high fashion inspiration. Twenty-seven works resulted, including several from the local school of fashion. Some were based on historical models dating back to the 1920’s, but with a modern interpretation. Lace materials went far beyond traditional thread to include metal, wicker, raffia, etc. This exhibition shows the results of the challenge.

The Association Meli Melo Fil and the new Cité Internationale de la Dentelle et de la Mode de Calais museum have participated in this exhibition.

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Ebay Alerts! Five Items – March 17, 2011

Posted on March 17, 2011 by lacenews

http://tinyurl.com/4h6tpk7 MANNEQUIN DE DENTELLIERE NORMANDE ET SA TABLE
Starting price: 50.00 EUR
Auction ends: 20 mars 2011 20:27:05 Paris
Offered by: Ebay seller thevintage27, HARDENCOURT COCHEREL, Haute-Normandie, France métropolitaine
Comments: I’m fascinated by this thing. It does look like a lacemaker, but the pillow is gone. Very tall, 1.42 meters high. The seller says it belonged to her grandparents, who lived in Normandy.

Sold for 50.00 EUR, 1 bidder.

http://tinyurl.com/4zrnhsn ANTIQUE LACE-223″ OF MECHLIN LACE
Starting price: $45.00 with reserve
Auction ends: Mar 21, 2011 08:01:26 PDT
Offered by: Maria Niforos, Ebay seller mithya, London-New York, United States
Comments: Very nice, long length of Mechlin. Nice solid design, beautifully worked. Condition appears excellent.

Sold for $305.00, 3 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/4q4rw78 ANTIQUE LACE-19THC.BRUSSELS LACE COLLAR W/POINT DE GAZE
Starting price: $225.00
Auction ends: Mar 21, 2011 08:24:55 PDT
Offered by: Maria Niforos, Ebay seller mithya, London-New York, United States
Comments: Bertha of Duchess or Brugges with Point de Gaze inserts.  The raised roses aren’t very interesting, but the various needlelace fillings are. Interesting half stitch shading in the leaves. Looks in very good condition.

Did not sell.
Relisted as Ebay #160569939772.

http://tinyurl.com/4s8w5kb EXQUISITE 19THC. BRUSSELS POINT DE GAZE LACE COLLAR
Starting price: $45.00 with reserve
Auction ends: Mar 21, 2011 08:35:01 PDT
Offered by: Maria Niforos, Ebay seller mithya, London-New York, United States
Comments: Very good Brussels Needlelace collar of unusual form. Point de Gaze throughout, including the ground. The design fits very well with the form. I don’t see any obvious condition problems.

$300.00, 5 bidders, reserve not met.
Relisted as Ebay #160569939513.  $255.00, 2 bidders, reserve not met.

http://tinyurl.com/4qlwwj6 France, Lace-making, handicraft, medal by Santucci
Starting price: $89.90 Buy it Now
Auction ends: about 9 days
Offered by: Ebay seller rosirenon, Malta
Comments: These are the hands of the extraordinary lacemaker Mme Guimard, who taught me in Alençon. We will be using this hand position when I teach my Alençon class at the 2012 IOLI convention (what I call the ‘continental’ position -no backsliding into the ‘English’ position allowed). Santucci made two of these medals – this one with various handicrafts represented on the back, and a silver colored one with Alençon lace on the back.

Sold for $89.90.

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Lace Exhibition: Tentoonstelling over Antwerpse kant door de eeuwen heen – November 20, 2010 to April 3, 2011

Posted on March 17, 2011 by lacenews

Tentoonstelling over Antwerpse kant door de eeuwen heen
Dates: November 20, 2010 to April 3, 2011
Maagdenhuismuseum
Lange Gasthuisstraat 33m 2000 ANTWERPEN
Tel: 03 338 26 20
Email: maagdenhuismuseum@ocmw.antwerpen.be
Web site: http://tinyurl.com/4597wd6
Hours: Weekdays: 10 to 17 hours
Weekends from 13 to 17 hours
Closed Tuesdays and public holidays
Admission fee: 5.00 EUR during the exhibition, under 19 free. Group rates available.

The Maagdenhuis in Antwerp, Belgium was formerly a home for orphan girls. It is housed in a lovely 16th-17th century building, and has permanent exhibitions of paintings, sculpture, Antwerp pottery, furniture, and stained glass.  It also serves as a repository of historical documents, and pays particular attention to Antwerp’s tradition of orphan and foundling care.

This important exhibition highlights the history of Antwerp lace production, especially examining the role of the orphan girls as lacemakers. A number of distinguished textile scholars have helped organize the exhibitions, including Lieve Vroom and Nora Andries.  Estelle Verhaegen and Sylva Deblanc contributed their own work.  Frieda Sorber gave a lecture on January 21st.

Photos of some of the exhibits can be seen at https://picasaweb.google.com/nardale/Anvers2011#

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Ebay Alerts! Three items – March 13, 2011

Posted on March 13, 2011 by lacenews

http://tinyurl.com/6b8ov6m BRUSSELS LACE FAN-EVENTAIL-VENTAGLIO-ABANICO
Starting price: $149.00
Auction ends: Mar 14, 2011 07:48:05 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller fanlady24, Padova, PD, Italy
Comments: Very good fan of Duchesse de Bruxelles (with point de gaze inserts), with imitation blonde tortoiseshell sticks.  Appears to be in fine condition. I’m impressed with the writeup – this seller knows lace and fans

Sold for $186.40, 2 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/5ucgtoo Vintage Edwardian Irish Crochet Wide Lace Collar
Starting price: $19.99
Auction ends: Mar 14, 2011 20:10:01 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller annacottage, Connecticut, United States
Comments: Large interesting collar of Irish Crochet – good raised work on the flowers, ground of clones knots is a sign of better work. Looks in very good condition – note it has been washed.

Sold for $166.49, 8 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/6xgfbyr SOSTEGNO PER TOMBOLO LEGNO MASSELLO INIZI 900 COMPLETO!
Starting price: 120.00 EUR
Auction ends: Mar 22, 2011 14:23:06 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller martin520104, Milano, MI, Italy
Comments: I’ll assume this stand is Italian – never seen anything like it before. Seller notes that one of the cradle arms has been restored for about 3 cm.  Otherwise good condition. I think the pillow is modern, the ‘foam rubber’ in the description is suspicious, or maybe Google Translate isn’t up to this.  Pillow does appear to be hollow, as are many Italian pillows.

Sold for 261.00 EUR, 5 bidders.

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Museums: Musée du Patrimoine & de la Dentelle, Chantilly, France

Posted on March 13, 2011 by lacenews

Musée du Patrimoine & de la Dentelle
Pavillon Egler, 34 rue d’Aumale, 1, place Omer Vallon, 60500 Chantilly
Hours: 10:00 to 11:30 and 15:00 to 17:30
*** Open Wednesdays and Saturdays only ***
Admission Fee: 2.00 Euros
Tel:  03 44 58 28 44
Web Site: http://www.evene.fr/culture/lieux/musee-du-patrimoine-et-de-la-dentelle-1834.php
Director: Jacques Guilleminot

The Chantilly lace museum was created by Marguerite Dembreville, founder of the Chantilly Municipal Cultural Center, and Odette Lazard, the Secretary General of the Center. It opened on April 12, 1985 in a building several blocks away from the present site. It now occupies three rooms in the Pavillion Egler, a former primary school turned residence. Examples of Chantilly porcelain are also shown alongside the lace.  Currently the museum relies on an enthusiastic set of about a dozen volunteers. I was very fortunate to get a tour by docent Mme. Anne Le Moine, who having lived in Florida, speaks excellent English. I was also delighted to learn that the previous Wednesday (March 2, 2011), the museum had an opening for its newly finished remodeling efforts. The rooms are small, the exhibition material copious, but good improvements have been made in textile display and didactic presentation.

Every year the museum creates an exhibition theme – this year it is “Fabricants et Marchands de Dentelle á Chantilly, XVIIIéme siècle – XIXéme siècle”. The exhibition rooms are thus an amazing source of quality information on the Chantilly lace industry. An excellent monograph on the subject by Mlle Claude Dugas is available for sale. This is exactly the type of quality work that a local museum like this should promote.

Lacemaking is demonstrated on Wednesday, which I missed, but I did see some of the demonstration pillows. No actual Chantilly lace was being made, rather some simple beginning edges. There is one display of traditional equipment and thread – the first time I’ve ever seen original spools of black silk thread.  The Chantilly pillow is a Normandy-style roller with a generous apron. What surprised me were the hooded bobbins; unlike German examples, the hood covers almost the entire shaft. There was only one example of the teardrop-shaped Bayeau bobbin.  One bobbin winder is on display, looking much like what one finds in the Le Puy area.


Local equipment and silk thread.

There are outstanding pieces of lace shown, in particular the magnificent triangular shawls. Even more interesting is the series of pricked pattern strips for a shawl – 15 strips representing 14 on one side and the central piece. Which would make for a shawl of 29 strips. I was told (and this agrees with other statements in the literature) that about a dozen women would spend a year making a shawl like this. I was also told that students who worked more slowly would be given the shorter pieces, so that overall, everything would come out on schedule.  Note, Michel Bouvot in Caen is selling a reproduction of a set of shawl patterns (http://blondecaen.chez-alice.fr/chale13.htm).


Triangular shawl displayed on a manikin – others were framed and mounted on the walls.


Part of the set of 15 shawl pattern strips.

A number of pieces of Blonde were also on display, along with original manufacturer’s designs for both Chantilly and Blonde.  A perennial question is how to tell the difference between products made in Chantilly, Bayeaux, Caen, and Belgium, particularly Grammont. It is still an area for research, but soon I’ll do a ‘lace of the month’ post with what little I know on the subject.


An excellent white Blonde shawl is on display, under glass (which makes photography a bit difficult). There are also numerous examples of original designs of both Chantilly and blonde lace, especially from the Landry factory.

The three rooms are loaded with both hand and machine made Chantilly and blondes, on display in vitrines, mounted on walls, and on manikins. An accurate reproduction of the dress worn by The Duchesse d’Aumale in the 1846 Winterhalter portrait is also on display – she lived in the Château de Chantilly. One could only wish that there were more space.

I must also make mention of Mme. Suzanne Raszewski, who with Claudette Bouvot has recently published “Blondes – Chantilly et Caen” (http://blondecaen.chez-alice.fr/rasz.htm). She is one of the few Chantilly lacemakers now practicing the art.

Since I visited on Saturday March 5th, the weather was cold and damp – it went right through my thin coat to the bone. I found myself wondering how the lacemakers kept their fingers warm. Please pay attention to the opening hours – I arrived by SNCF train from the Gare du Nord at 11:19 (quite an adventure trying to find the ticket booth at the Gare du Nord. Round trip ticket to Chantilly-Gouvieux was ~17 euros, took 53 minutes on the local, 38 minutes on the express). The museum is an easy walk from the railway station, but when they say it closes at 11:30, they really mean it.  But that gave me time to get lunch and sample the amazing crème Chantilly. And also to walk around the Château de Chantilly, which houses the magnificent Musée Condé, advertised “as good as the Louvre but much less crowded”.


As I was walking around the town I saw the magnificent building on the left, which I first thought was the Château. Turns out it is the Grandes Écuries (Great Stables). Legend has it that Louis Henri, Duc de Bourbon, Prince of Condé believed that he would be reincarnated as a horse after his death, and had the stables built so he would have somewhere suitable to live. Well, whatever happened, Chantilly is a great equine center.
The real Château is on the right. Both are within easy walking distance from the lace museum.
Both these buildings were used as sets in the 1985 James Bond film “A View to a Kill”.

  

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Ebay Alerts! Eight Items – March 10, 2011

Posted on March 11, 2011 by lacenews

http://tinyurl.com/4djxnf2 POINT DE GAZE & DUCHESSE LACE 1860 HANDM 93 x 12″ BROAD!
Starting price: $49.99
Auction ends: Mar 11, 2011 17:51:54 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller seltmeister, simmerath, Germany
Comments: A good length of bobbin and needlelace application machine net. This type of lace can often be found in wide lengths (that’s really why it was developed), but to find one in really good condition is unusual. This one looks OK, although there are a few small holes in the net.  Design is fairly conventional.

Sold for $299.99, 6 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/4bnjode POINT DE GAZE LACE 1860 HANDM 92″ COLLECTORS FINEST
Starting price: $49.99
Auction ends: Mar 11, 2011 17:54:34 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller seltmeister, San Francisco, simmerath, Germany
Comments: 4″ wide; this kind of flat Belgian needlelace has great potential. This one has a rather fussy design. Includes some well executed ornamental jours but without a lot of variety.  A few holes in the ground.

Sold for $456.00, 11 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/4atx9z6 GREEK HAND MADE NEEDLELACE LADY’S BONNET
Starting price: $10.00
Auction ends: Mar 12, 2011 14:50:43 PST
Offered by: Anne Swift, Ebay seller eastayton, London. England, United Kingdom
Comments: I wrote to Anne about this piece, since it rather obviously looked like Italian Puncetto – she has added a comment at the end of the listing. A wonderful piece, some of the only puncetto I’ve seen on Ebay in years.  Looks in basically unused condition.

Sold for $280.99, 3 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/4n2fpdq ENGLISH HONITON BOBBIN LACE TOTALLY HANDMADE 19th c
Starting price: $10.00 with reserve
Auction ends: Mar 12, 2011 15:05:42 PST
Offered by: Anne Swift, Ebay seller eastayton, London. England, United Kingdom
Comments: Honiton lace length with needlelace mesh. A good long length (210″ x 7.5″) in very good condition, no damage I can see. The design of scatter foliage is a bit haphazard, but rather charming. Nicely made.

$610.00, 7 bidders, reserve not met.

http://tinyurl.com/4n2fpdq BRUSSELS BOBBIN LACE FAN WITH MOTHER OF PEARL STICKS
Starting price: $10.00 with reserve
Auction ends: Mar 12, 2011 15:50:23 PST
Offered by: Anne Swift, Ebay seller eastayton, London. England, United Kingdom
Comments: Good Belgian bobbinlace fan – looks like the cartouches have a needlelace ground. Interesting fillings.  Comes with box, no tassel. Lace looks in very good condition, mother of pearl sticks have some repair.

$151.01, 5 bidders, reserve not met.

http://tinyurl.com/4pu6qe3 BRUSSELS BOBBIN LACE WITH VRAI DROSCHEL GROUND
Starting price: $10.00 with reserve
Auction ends: Mar 12, 2011 16:30:47 PST
Offered by: Anne Swift, Ebay seller eastayton, London. England, United Kingdom
Comments: Nice Belgian bobbinlace applique on droschel ground – early 19thc. 190″ x 6.3″, good long length, looks in good condition. Can’t tell from photos if there are any repairs, but if there are they are well done.

Sold for $840.00, 5 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/47h6hfa FLEMISH BOBBIN LACE 17th CENTURY RARE Starting price: $10.00 with reserve
Auction ends: Mar 12, 2011 16:50:44 PST
Offered by: Anne Swift, Ebay seller eastayton, London. England, United Kingdom
Comments: Good long length, 99″ x 2.75″ of this rare bobbinlace. This type of work is quite fine, you really have to see it up close to fully apreciate it. Unfortunately this one has some condition problems – the small stain is not important. It is joined in two places, and the entire top edge looks cut away.

$434.99, 5 bidders, reserve not met.

http://tinyurl.com/4qjxmfm VICTORIAN IRISH CROCHET FALL-CAP
Starting price: 19.99 GBP
Auction ends: Mar 13, 2011 12:02:38 PDT
Offered by: Ebay seller lacisfair, Surrey, United Kingdom
Comments: Lovely Irish crochet fallcap, good tight workmanship. Looks in excellent condition.  It’s hard to tell, but this piece does look very white – which might be a sign of original condition, or maybe it was bleached… I can’t tell. I do like it very much.

Sold for 30.00 EUR, 2 bidders.

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Ebay Alerts! Eight Items – March 6, 2011

Posted on March 5, 2011 by lacenews

http://tinyurl.com/4dz8zxn Lovely *Old *Antique* Handmade? Net * Lace Trim Collar
Starting price: $9.99
Auction ends: Mar 06, 2011 07:21:52 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller igloo*, San Francisco, United States
Comments: A large collar of high quality Duchesse, with a few needlelace inserts. Even these are unusual – limited to the background for small bobbin motifs, and a few needle-made branches.  There are also a few nice needlelace jour fillings in some open spaces. The design of the bobbinlace is well outside the usual Duchesse fare, quite a superior piece.  Aside from the color condition appears good. Seller didn’t provide a photo of the whole thing, and also took it laid on a piece of black lace which is a little confusing.

   Sold for $92.00, 8 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/6h6pzby VICTORIAN LARGE BRUSSELS LACE FAN 19TH C. J.DUVELLEROY
Starting price: 50.00 GPB with reserve
Auction ends: Mar 07, 2011 10:50:29 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller georginnantiques, Longon, UK
Comments: Fan with known retailer – bobbinlace application on machine net. Few tiny breaks in mesh. Sticks may or may not be tortoiseshell – watch customs regulations if they are.  Nice piece with asymmetric central design.

   Sold for 82.99 GBP, 4 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/6897qza BEAUTIFUL BRUSSELS LACE FAN WITH BIRDS + FLOWERS. 19THC
Starting price: 150.00 GPB
Auction ends: Mar 07, 2011 10:23:50 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller georginnantiques, Longon, UK
Comments: Another bobbinlace application fan on machine net, same seller, but with finer motifs. Interesting birds. Mother of pearl sticks. A little staining, otherwise good. Has original tassle, box may not be original.

   Sold for 205.00 GBP, 2 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/68jqqgf LOVELY MALTESE LACE FAN M.O.P STICKS 19TH CENTURY
Starting price: 95.00 GPB
Auction ends: Mar 07, 2011 10:32:28 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller georginnantiques, Longon, UK
Comments: Yet another fan, same seller. Maltese fans don’t come up that often, and this one is OK. Unfortunate choice of background color – photographing white lace on light backgrounds always brings out every color variation – you can’t hide the dirt. Nonetheless, this one looks pretty good.

   Sold for 133.9 GBP, 3 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/6l48byy *19 Vintage FILET – LACIS Table / Place Mats / Doilies*
Starting price: $19.99
Auction ends: Mar 07, 2011 10:50:29 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller jaruk, Worcester., Worcs., United Kingdom
Comments: Interesting set of doileys in Lacis, look in very good condition. They have a variety of stitches, all well made. Looks like the basic set size may have been 6, with a few extra variations thrown in.

   Sold for $62.99,  bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/4cvcuk7 BEAUTIFUL LARGE HAND MADE CHANTILLY LACE FAN 19TH C
Starting price: 150.00 GPB
Auction ends: Mar 07, 2011 10:54:24 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller georginnantiques, Longon, UK
Comments: And one last fan, same seller.  Nice Chantilly leaf, dense, good design. Very minor edge defect. Two of the mounting sticks have breaks.  Known retailer (FROM RACINE 21, SOUTH MOLTON STREET, W) with original box.

   Did not sell.  Relisted as #250822152014, price 100 GBP.

http://tinyurl.com/6dauh26 LONG LENGTH OF ANTIQUE BRUSSELS POINT de GAZE TRIM
Starting price: $20.00
Auction ends: Mar 07, 2011 15:10:52 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller doylymolly, United Kingdom
Comments: The advantage of this piece is length (139″ x 3-3/4″) and condition (few repairs, some age stains). Design is conventional, but well worked. Note the windows in the rose petals, bit unusual.

   Sold for $371.00, 10 bidders.

http://tinyurl.com/6egcrmj **VERY FINE LONG STUNNING POINT DE GAZE BRUSSELS LACE**
Starting price: $49.99
Auction ends: Mar 09, 2011 17:28:49 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller tuquiri00, Adelaide, SA, Australia
Comments: I’m a bit confused by this piece.  Looks like OK Point de Gaze, but on a machine net ground?  Pictures aren’t too clear. What’s throwing me the most is the 3rd photo down, I guess this is one of the center motifs. Just seems a little different from the others.

   Sold for $2,406.00, 9 bidders.

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Ebay Alerts! One Item – March 4, 2011

Posted on March 4, 2011 by lacenews

http://tinyurl.com/4txneom EXQUISITE 19THC. BRUSSELS POINT DE GAZE LACE
Starting price: $45.00 with reserve
Auction ends: Mar 09, 2011 17:28:49 PST
Offered by: Maria Niforos, Ebay seller mithya, London-New York, United States, Comments: We’ve waited a long time for a piece like this, Bravo Maria! 57″ long x 16″ wide, nice fillings, excellent condition, pointed petal raised roses, it has everything.

  $510.00, reserve not met, 9 bidders.
Relisted as #160608406080

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