Collar

Art Historical Context

This delicate 18th-century, crafted in needle lace from Venice, Italy, exemplifies the pinnacle of textile artistry. Measuring 13½ by 2½ inches, its intricate floral motifs—evident in the tagged "Flowers" design—bloom with lifelike precision, showcasing the painstaking technique of needle lace. Unlike bobbin lace, which weaves threads on a pillow, needle lace is built stitch by stitch with a needle and thread on a paper pattern, allowing for freeform, sculptural effects that mimic embroidery's depth and volume. Venice was a global center for lace production during the 18th century, where guil...