Lace Exhibition: Carmen Tórtola Valencia, passió pel col·leccionisme – October 10. 2010 to September 25, 2011

Posted on November 23, 2010 by lacenews

Museu Marès de la Punta
Carrer de l’Església, 43 Arenys de Mar, Spain
Dates: October 10, 2010 to September 25, 2011

The lace collection of famed Spanish dancer Carmen Tórtola Valencia (1882-1955) has been kept in the Museu Marès de la Punta since 1992. It is beautifully displayed as the current special exhibit on the first floor of the museum. The pieces shown focus on her role as a lace collector, and also give insight into her career as an early modern dancer. Her appearance was electric, I’ve never seen anyone wear an Irish Crochet collar with more style (the collar is part of the exhibition).

A fascinating biography of the dancer can be found at
http://www.cornermag.org/corner02/page09.htm.  Items on display at the exhibition can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZFxmXbbSss.  You can also see a collection of photographs taken during the height of her career at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRL29fTbEkg.

Although born in Spain, Valencia grew up in England. She was self-trained in dance, and was much inspired by Isadora Duncan.  Many of her works derive from her study of Eastern and African dance.  She performed internationally from 1908-1930, in Spain, England, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Russia, and Latin America. She was a feminist, and did not hesitate to explore radical ideas such as vegetarianism and Buddhism. And she was devoted to her longtime partner, Angeles Magret Vilá.  We can only look back on her extraordinary life in wonder, and see try to see a part of her through her lace.

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Museums: Museu Marès de la Punta, Arenys De Mar, Spain

Posted on November 21, 2010 by lacenews

I am starting a new category on museums with significant lace collections. No better place to start than with the museum I toured with Carolina de la Guardia in Spain on November 29, 2010.

Museu Marès de la Punta
Carrer de l’Església, 43 Arenys de Mar, Spain
Hours: 11:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 18:00 Tuesday-Saturday
11:00 to 13:00 and 18:00 to 20:00 Tuesday-Saturday (April 1 to Sept 30)
11:00 to 13:00 Sundays and holidays (all year)
Closed on Monday
Admission Fee: 3.00 Euros, 1.50 Euros for students and group discounts
Tel:  937 924 444
Web Site: http://tinyurl.com/p6sx9uq
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/7kw3djs
Director: Neus Ribas


Arenys de Mar can be reached by a simple ~30 minute train ride from Barcelona along the coast. Be prepared, this is in the heart of Catalonia, and the predominate language is Catalan. The lace museum is located in a 17th century building which originally  housed the Saint Jaume’s Hospital. It was renovated in 1983 to hold the lace collection of sculptor Frederic Marès i Deulovoll (1893-1991). Marès collected in many areas, and there is a major museum of his sculpture in Barcelona. Over the years the lace museum has been the recipient of other collections, most notably the purchase of the archives of the Fábrica de Blondas y Encajes Castells run by Marià Castells i Simón (1873-1931) and his brother Joaquim. The company produced outstanding Art Nouveau designs.  The museum also contains the splendid work of designer Aurora Gutiérrez Larraya (d. 1920).

The holdings of the museum are well documented with photos on their web site – look under ‘Col·leccions’ on the right hand side of the page. There are a wide variety of laces shown, but the holdings of Spanish pieces are phenomenal.  This is definitely the place to go to study the mantilla, and there is a whole section on religious pieces.

The bottom floor of the museum contains rotating exhibitions. To see the permanent collection, start on the top (4th) floor and work your way down. The top floor contains 16th and 17th century examples of lacis, buratto, drawnwork, and some early bobbinlace. The pieces are for the most part, quite large and complete, ranging from coarse to very fine work.

The next floor down contains a wide variety of 19th and 20th century pieces. It also has display cases of gold and silver laces, along with the very large bobbins (up to 8″ long)  meant to hold the metallic thread.

Before you get to the main exhibition hall on the 2nd floor, there is an anteroom containing the Castells archive. It includes designs, sample books, patterns, and account books. This company produced some very fine Art Nouveau designs in a beautiful Guipure.

The main exhibition hall is quite large and has a variety of laces on display. Most notable are the ‘ret-fi’, also known as ‘Punta d’Arenys’, or Spanish Blondes. Originating in the later 18th century in the Arenys region, it was made both in linen, white or black silk, and later in cotton.  It has been described as ‘chiaroscuro’, emphasizing contrasting light and dark areas. It can range from elaborate floral motifs, to rather thin, wandering designs with a geometric, architectural character. There are outstanding pieces on display, including a very fine alb flounce.
This lace is very little recognized in current literature. The museum does sell an excellent book on ret-fi history and technique:
“El <<Ret-Fi>> Català o Puntes d’Arenys”, by Lola Simmaro and Nuria Marot


Ret-fi example in black silk from my own collection.

There is a wide variety of laces from all over Europe on display in the main hall, but I was particularly drawn to the early Spanish Sol drawnworks. These are the predecessors of Tenerife and Ñanduti laces, and I was surprised to see how large and bold the originals are. There was also one handkerchief of the ‘Witch Stitch’ lace, traditionally known as ‘Punta Numerica’. This lace has undergone a recent revival thanks to people like Carolina (see her web site at http://www.carolgallego.com/). The museum sells a book on this technique:
“Punta Numerica Extremenya a la Garriga”, by M. Jose Jover, et. al.

Today lacemaking in Catalonia is extensive, represented in many towns. A major lace event is held in Arenys de Mar, photos can be seen on Carolina’s site. My thanks to her for a wonderful day.

Some videos in Catalan describing the museum and various exhibitions can be found at:
http://www.bajaryoutube.com/videos/gallegs2flv-bytid-plTA3dSUr4Y.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I58SLl7gvr4

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Ebay Alerts! Five items – November 21, 2010

Posted on November 21, 2010 by lacenews

http://tinyurl.com/2c33kwl HAND MADE BOBBIN LACE POSSIBLY ENGLISH BUCKS POINT
Current offer: 30.55 GBP, 3 bids, reserve not met
Auction ends: 27 Nov, 2010 23:30:01 GMT
Offered by: Anne Swift, Ebay Seller eastayton, London
Comments: A long, wide piece of point ground lace, looks in very good condition. Seller says ‘Possibly English Bucks Point’. Note the consistent use of half stitch in the motifs. To me, that says it’s not Bucks, but perhaps Tønder. When dealing with a piece like this you have to look for signs – Bucks mesh on a 50-70 degree angle (most other point grounds are around 45 degrees). Cut gimps crossing on the side of the piece consistent with the heading to the left when working.  But it’s the use of half stitch that bothers me the most.
A remarkable piece.

 Sold for $270.00

http://tinyurl.com/265thek ALENCON NEEDLE LACE LAPPETS Ca 1770
Current offer: $10.00, 0 bids, reserve not met
Auction ends: 27 Nov, 2010 23:50:01 GMT
Offered by: Anne Swift, Ebay Seller eastayton, London
Comments: Nice set of Alençon lappets, later 18th century. By this time Alençon design was quite minimalistic. It is very rare to find lappets of this type in such good condition – the reseau suffers badly over the years.

 Sold for $250.00

http://tinyurl.com/28obvhw NEEDLE LACE BERTHA COLLAR SUPERB QUALITY 19th CENTURY
Current offer: $46.99, 2 bids, reserve not met
Auction ends: 28 Nov, 2010 00:20:01 GMT
Offered by: Anne Swift, Ebay Seller eastayton, London
Comments: Beautiful bertha, looks very Italian later 19th century. Excellent condition.

 Sold for $450.00

http://tinyurl.com/2g6zndf Sewing Making Lace A Nice c1906 Card
Current offer: $9.99, buy it now
Auction ends: 28 Nov, 2010 00:20:01 GMT
Offered by: Ebay Seller ajdmba, Hawaii, USA
Comments: A Liebig advertising card showing lacemakers. Normally these were produced in sets of 6 – the standard set shows lacemakers from different countries and is dated 1912. This one is a loner, I haven’t been able to find others in a coherent set, and don’t know the date. But I assume it is around the same time.  A rare card, and looks in excellent condition.

 Still buy-it-now.

http://tinyurl.com/2bkf6pe Banc de pied de dentellière,art populaire,bois sculpté
Current offer: 50.00 EUR, 1 bid
Auction ends: Nov 29, 2010 09:53:37 PST
Offered by: Ebay Seller rasta1771, Auvergne, France
Comments: I know this seller, who has a superb collection of early French lacemaking equipment. This footstool is delightful.

 Sold for 151.00 EUR

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Ebay Alerts! Fourteen Items – November 18, 2010

Posted on November 18, 2010 by lacenews

http://tinyurl.com/24aeuan ANTIQUE LACE-140″ FINEST BRUSSELS BRUGE LACE
Current offer: 195.00 GBP, no bids
Auction ends: Nov 21, 2010 05:58:28 PST
Offered by: Maria Niforos, Ebay Seller mithya, London and New York
Comments: Nice long Belgian pieced lace, you can call it Brugges, it tended to have lots of names. Well worked. Apparently two pieces are joined together, each with a different design, but the second one is not shown.

Sold for $195.00

http://tinyurl.com/28bwo88 LOVELY 19THC.BRUSSELS DUCHESSE LACE LAPPET
Current offer: $395.00, no bids
Auction ends: Nov 21, 2010 06:37:34 PST
Offered by: Maria Niforos, Ebay Seller mithya, London and New York
Comments: Belgian Duchesse doesn’t have to add fussy little inserts of Point de Gaze – it can stand very well on its own. A very nice narrow scarf derived from the lappet tradition.

Did not sell.

http://tinyurl.com/24opmwg SUPERB 19THC.BRUSSELS POINT DE GAZE BERTHA COLLAR
Current offer: $495.00, no bids
Auction ends: Nov 21, 2010 06:39:10 PST
Offered by: Maria Niforos, Ebay Seller mithya, London and New York
Comments: A good Point de Gaze bertha, nice jours. Rather standard design, but excellent condition.

Did not sell.

http://tinyurl.com/2ejqdzy ANTIQUE LACE-LOVELY BLONDE LACE HANDKERCHIEF
Current offer: $195.00, no bids
Auction ends: Nov 21, 2010 18:09:29 PST
Offered by: Maria Niforos, Ebay Seller mithya, London and New York
Comments: I’ve never seen anything quite like this before. Can’t tell if it is silk. Certainly a blonde technique, but I’m not sure where it’s from. Center embroidery doesn’t do much for the piece.

Did not sell.

http://tinyurl.com/26o9kn9 ANTIQUE LACE REFERENCE CHANTILLY LACE 19TH C.FOLIO
Current offer: $175.00, no bids
Auction ends: Nov 21, 2010 20:00:45 PST
Offered by: Paivi Roberts, Ebay seller greatlace, Paris and Palm Beach
Comments: The A. Calavas large format plates of Chantilly lace. 20 plates Looks in good condition – few small tears in the cover. Very rare.

Did not sell.

http://tinyurl.com/2b5cshz *19c IRISH CARRICKMACROSS Lace Wedding HANDKERCHIEF*
Current offer: $15.50, 3 bids, reserve not met
Auction ends: Nov 22, 2010 11:10:46 PST
Offered by: Josephine Rosenthal, Ebay seller jaruk, Worcester., Worcs., United Kingdom
Comments: Very good Carrickmacross handkerchief, the net applique type. Typical loops on the outside border, nice fillings of embroidered net. People often wait for very large pieces of this, but one should not ignore the really nice smaller ones.

Sold for $278.86

http://tinyurl.com/28kqcpw *Exquisite WHITE WORK EMBROIDERED French Handkerchief *
Current offer: $11.00, 2 bids, reserve not met
Auction ends: Nov 22, 2010 11:15:21 PST
Offered by: Josephine Rosenthal, Ebay seller jaruk, Worcester., Worcs., United Kingdom
Comments: French whitework embroidery with the same fillings used in Alencon/Argentan needlelace. Looks like only one small hole in one corner where the jours attach. Beautiful piece, very effective.

Sold for $394.00

http://tinyurl.com/29qfxmj *Beautiful Antique Brussels POINT de GAZE Handkerchief*
http://tinyurl.com/2b38t44 *Superb Antique POINT de GAZE LACE HANDKERCHIEF w Mono*
Current offer: $150.00, 7 bids
Current offer: $22.50, 3 bids, reserve not met
Auction ends: Nov 22, 2010 11:40:01 PST
Auction ends: Nov 23, 2010 09:00:55 PST
Offered by: Josephine Rosenthal, Ebay seller jaruk, Worcester., Worcs., United Kingdom
Comments: Very good flat Belgian needlelace handkerchiefs. These two are so similar that they must have been made by the same manufacturer. Very interesting to compare the two. I do like the first one best, the second pushes it a bit too far, and isn’t helped by the monogram.


Sold for $470.01             Sold for $456.99

http://tinyurl.com/263kbsn Antique BRUSSELS LACE w POINT DE GAZE Hand Made COLLAR
Current offer: $20.50, 2 bids
Auction ends: Nov 22, 2010 19:00:21 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller annacottage, Connecticut, United States
Comments: Bertha of Duchess and Point de Gaze (sometimes called Duchesse de Bruxelles). I’m not a big fan of this lace, but this piece shows a little more innovation than most. Sort of a daisy pattern. Looks in good condition, no obvious problems, and the needlelace is intact, which is a plus.

Sold for $225.00

http://tinyurl.com/2cexzwf FABULOUS WHITE VINTAGE NANDUTI LACE TABLECLOTH
Current offer: $325.00 buy it now or make an offer
Auction ends: Nov 24, 2010 11:24:44 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller purpletigerblue, Colorado, USA
Comments: Nice piece if you are into linens. Good workmanship, looks basically unused. Not sure how fine the threads are, modern Nanduti tends to go a little coarser for pieces like this.

Sold for $325.00

http://tinyurl.com/23c9yt5 BILLET CHAMBRE de COMMERCE du PUY 25 Cent. DENTELLIERE
Current offer: EUR 3.50, 4 bids
Auction ends: Nov 23, 2010 08:29:07 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller marie-claudia, Autervie, France
Comments: The notes from Le Puy with the lacemaker were issued in three denominations, 1 fr, 50c and 25c. This 25c note looks to be in excellent condition, it is very rare to find them at all, least of all in good condition.  It looks like the little dots on one side are not holes, they don’t extend to the back of the piece. (note, keep an eye out for the Alencon billet with an edging of Alencon lace, which has not been documented in any lace literature I can find).

Sold for 8.50 EUR

http://tinyurl.com/2cczp4k 5″-12″ EUROPEAN 5-DOLLS = Swiss, Spain, Italy 1930’s-50
Current offer: $9.99, no bids, reserve not met
Auction ends: Nov 24, 2010 11:00:20 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller classythings, Denver, Colorado, USA
Comments: There is a Spanish felt lacemaker doll shown at the back of this set.  She has a headscarf, which is unusual. Seller says it represents Salmanca, Spain, made either by Nistis or Layna.

Sold for $50.00

http://tinyurl.com/25opp2a VR- OLD POSTER STAMP LACE WORK KANTKLOSSEN 1910- 36
Current offer: $6.99, no bids
Auction ends: Nov 24, 2010 01:41:46 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller info1b3u, Ermelo, Netherlands
Comments: Poster stamps were unofficial advertising labels that could be stuck on virtually anything. They were initially inspired by the growing use of postage stamps, and date from about 1860 to WWII. This one, which I have also seen in dark blue, advertises the lacemakers demonstrating at the 1910 World Exposition in Brussels.

Sold for $6.99

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Lace At Sweet Briar correction

Posted on November 15, 2010 by lacenews

As several people have pointed out, the dates for Sweet Briar are June 19 – 25, 2011. Not 2010. Apologies, should have done a better job proofreading. I’ve corrected the post.

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Ebay Alerts! Four Items – November 14, 2010

Posted on November 14, 2010 by lacenews

http://tinyurl.com/2fezlhm Springett Collection Antique Bobbin Box and Bobbins
Current offer: 0.99 GBP, 1 bid
Auction ends: Nov 21, 2010 11:54:27 PST
Offered by: David & Christine Springett, Ebay seller springettbobbins, Rugby, Warwickshire, UK
Comments: I assume everyone is closely following the Springett bobbin sales, but this item is amazing. I’ve never seen a bobbin box on the market before, and all those strivers!

Sold for 82.00 GBP

http://tinyurl.com/2e3cll4 FRENCH VICTORIAN 1800S IRISH CROCHET LACE WEDDING DRESS
Current offer: $10,625, buy it now
Auction ends: Sale ends in 1 day
Offered by: Ebay seller firefly1052, Solana Beach, California
Comments: Wedding dress? French? (seems it was bought from a French collector).  I don’t think the top and the skirt go together, and I like the skirt much better than the top.  Pretty standard Irish Crochet, although I’m always interested to see how IC is used as yardage in dress construction.

Buy it now.

http://tinyurl.com/2dtjmpv BOÎTE ANCIENNE poudre de la DENTELLIERE MARIE LOUISE
Current offer: 30 Eur, no bids
Auction ends: Nov 18, 2010 09:35:09 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller noirchipie2, Bourges, Centre, France
Comments: I have a box of this stuff in my collection, and even though the lid is on, the brownish powder gets all over everything. Remember hearing people say how lace can be colored by dipping it in tea? Someone finally decided to cash in by formulating a dye specifically for lace, marketed by Au Bonne Marché in Paris, 1930’s to 1940’s, maybe. You can dissolve it in water and soak the lace, or you can rub the powder in directly.  Messy stuff, and who knows what actually is in it.

Did not sell.

http://tinyurl.com/2a5ak9l ANTIQUE handkerchief point de gaze brussels lace
Current offer: $10.50, 2 bids, reserve not met.
Auction ends: Nov 21, 2010 11:24:33 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller shameli, Avignon, France
Comments: Looks like a nice handkerchief in good condition. No raised work, but that’s not a problem in Belgian needlelace, some of the very best pieces are flat. Not the greatest design, but a nice cohesive effect.

Sold for $322.55

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Collecting: Delft Lacemaker Figures

Posted on November 14, 2010 by lacenews


Two Delft Lacemaker figures of very similar design. Both have the number 2391 inscribed on the back of the chair. The left example is a little over 15 cm high and sits on a stool with no back, the righthand one is 17 cm and has an open back chair (partially missing in this example).

Continuing with lacemaking figures from different countries, I very much like the Delft porcelain figures from the Netherlands. This will be a short post because I’ve only been able to find four of these figures, and not much solid information about any of them.

This is not the place to go into the history of Delft earthenware; the Wikipedia article on Delftware is as good a place as any if you are interested. Originally Delftware was a tin-glazed earthenware, the clay mixed from three different sources. By the time these pieces were made, their form is an underglaze blue on a white clay body.

The first two figures are extremely beautiful – the glaze on the first one is so fine that it is a bit hard to photograph. Both these figures have the same number, 2391, carved on the back of the chair.  In the two below, both have the number 2178 scratched faintly in the bottom of the base. They are quite similar, with openwork done on the back of the chairs. Note the windmills painted on the aprons of all the figures. None of these figures is inscribed with the ‘Delft Blauw’ mark from the officially sanctioned Royal Delft factory in the city of Delft. This basically means it’s very difficult to tell where they were made.  Nevertheless, the workmanship is very high quality on all of them, and they reach good prices (~$100 – ~$500 depending on condition).


Two very similar examples, the one on the left is 14.6cm high. The righthand figure is 13.0 cm high. Both have the number 2178 scratched in the bottom of the base. Both sit on a chair with an openwork back.

In searching on the term ‘lacemaker’ and ‘Delft’ on the internet, one is quickly overwhelmed by references to Vermeer’s Lacemaker, since he worked in Delft. One image that I found is a Vermeer lacemaker on a Delft platter, see Vermeer’s Lacemaker Charger on the Worthpoint site, which records auction prices. There are four photos of the plate, the last one with the Delft mark that the lacemakers in this post are lacking. This example is 13-1/2″ in diameter.

Here is a slightly different Vermeer Delft platter, 11-5/8″ in diameter:

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Ebay Alerts! Four items – November 11, 2010

Posted on November 11, 2010 by lacenews

http://tinyurl.com/28z93bq Antique Victorian Carrickmacross.Lace Handkerchief
Current offer: $19.99, no bids
Auction ends: Nov 14, 2010 16:45:14 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller aunties-antiques, Kirtland Washington
Comments: Nice handkerchief of carrickmacross ‘guipure’. Few weak spots, but overall seems quite fine work.

Sold for $20.50

http://tinyurl.com/25or586 ANTIQUE DUVELLEROY MOTHER OF PEARL MOP & LACE FAN c1890
Current offer: 90.99 GBP, 7 bids
Auction ends: Nov 14, 2010 12:00:25 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller rupertandtoby, Surrey, UK
Comments: Very good Brussels needlelace fan, original box and known maker. Unfortunately not too many photos of the lace, but looks to be in good condition, aside from a few brown spots where glued to the guard sticks.

Sold for 192.90 GBP

http://tinyurl.com/2eumjly Antique Maltese Lace Black Silk Shawl
Current offer: $26.00, 2 bids
Auction ends: Nov 14, 2010 18:41:00 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller rockofagus, East Aurora, New York
Comments: This seller is offering a number of interesting Maltese pieces, which were a gift from a relative in 1950. This provenance is rare, and shows that mid 20th century work in Malta was of high quality.

Sold for $56.00

http://tinyurl.com/2f24zpb ANTIQUE LACE- BRUSSELS LACE HANDKERCHIEF
Current offer: $45.00, 1 bids
Auction ends: Nov 15, 2010 08:20:56 PST
Offered by: Maria Niforos, Ebay seller mithya, London and New York
Comments: Beautiful example of 19th century Point d’Angleterre, mixed bobbin and needlelace from Belgium. Very fine work, good condition.  One of my favorite laces.

Sold for $225.00

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Ebay Alerts! Six Items – November 7, 2010

Posted on November 7, 2010 by lacenews

http://tinyurl.com/2gxf43d Point d’Gaz Lace Victorian collar cape handworked HUGE
Lace Collar of Museum Quality – APPRAISED – Mint
Current offer: $1,150.00 Buy it Now or Make Offer
Auction ends: Dec 04, 201022:03:39 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller one.moon, Central Iowa, USA
Comments: I like the form, I like the size, I like the condition. Probably Belgian needlelace, halfway between Point d’Gaz motifs and a Venise. Design is fairly confused.  I don’t like the price.

Buy it Now

http://tinyurl.com/248bgzq Antique Honiton Bobbin Lace Fallcap Lappets Birds Roses
Current offer: GBP 65.00, no bids
Auction ends: Nov 17, 2010 12:13:44 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller ginqueen, Oxfordshire, UK
Comments: Over-the-top Victorian Honiton fallcap, looks  in very good condition. Doesn’t seem to have been washed, which helps a lot. Snails/slugs design, but not bad for the form. My compliments to the photographer.

Sold for 65.00 GBP

http://tinyurl.com/2ffkag7 Stunning Antique Handmade Lace flounce-194″ x 12″
Current offer: GBP 310.00, 8 bids
Auction ends: Nov 11, 2010 11:59:53 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller baraud, Newton Abbot, UK
Comments: Good long, wide length of Brussels applique on machine net, both bobbin and needle motifs. Someone should rescue this piece before it gets swallowed up by the wedding dress industry.

Sold for 370.00 GBP

http://tinyurl.com/25xhobq Antique Brussels Bobbin Lace Point d’Angleterre Lappet
Current offer: GBP 115.00, no bids
Auction ends: Nov 17, 2010 12:56:17 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller ginqueen, Oxfordshire, UK
Comments: Very nice single lappet, mid 18th century, vrai droschel. Condition issues in the net, and some extensive repairs. But overall a well worked example – pieces of this original quality don’t come up that often. Seller is also offering two late 18th century Alencon lappets at http://tinyurl.com/275ogvw .

Sold for 115 GBP Did not sell.

http://tinyurl.com/24euwy2 Santon de provence ancien la dentellière
Current offer: 8.00 Eur, 0 bids
Auction ends: Nov 14, 2010 07:54:26 PST
Offered by: Ebay seller 0310_maillard, neuves-maisons, Lorraine, France
Comments: One of the nicer lacemaking santons, probably by Maryse Di Landro’s workshop in Aubagne.

Did not sell.

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Lace of the Month: Spanish Guipure – November 2010

Posted on November 7, 2010 by lacenews


Click on the photo for a closeup view.

November’s lace is a tribute to my recent visit to Spain, where I learned a little about the vastly complex subject of guipure laces. The example shown is a 9″ wide Spanish Guipure, of which I saw many variations at the Arenys de Mar lace museum. Guipures like this were widely made throughout Europe and attribution can be very difficult. Some, like the Le Puy guipures are distinguished by their innovative grounds – in other cases there is little evidence to tell anything about origin. This piece of Spanish work is quite striking in appearance, and of good workmanship very appropriate to the style. It has a heavy florid design, a picoted irregular bride ground, and both half and whole stitch in the motifs. The elaborate header is not unusual in Spanish work. The simple star filling is typical of many Spanish laces, and can often be used to distinguish these from similar European techniques.
This piece arrived drenched in perfume – a problem quite easily solved by wrapping it in newspaper for a few days. The carbon in the ink absorbs the smell – not quite sure of the uptake chemistry here, but no more odor!
More about the museum will be written in an upcoming post.

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