Border
Unknown Artist
early 18th century
Medium
Bobbin lace, point d'Angleterre
Dimensions
L. 138 x W. 3 1/2 inches (350.5 x 8.9 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Laces
Culture
Flemish, Brussels
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Elizabeth Townsend Booth, in memory of Mary Townsend White and Mrs. John Pomery Townsend, 1934
Accession Number
34.38.2
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Border* lace, crafted in early 18th-century Brussels by an unknown Flemish artisan, exemplifies the pinnacle of Europe's lace-making tradition. Measuring an impressive 138 inches long and just 3½ inches wide, this narrow strip was designed as a decorative edging for garments, furnishings, or ecclesiastical vestments. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art European Sculpture and Decorative Department, it was generously gifted in 1934 Elizabeth Townsend Booth in memory her relatives. Made using the bobbin lace technique in the prestigious point d'Angleterre style, the piece sh...