Insertion
Unknown Artist
16th century
Medium
Bobbin lace
Dimensions
1/2 x 8 inches (1.3 x 20.3 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Laces
Culture
Italian
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1920
Accession Number
20.186.48
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection, where we encounter *Insertion*, a delicate 16th-century Italian bobbin lace masterpiece by an unknown artist. Measuring just 1/2 x 8 inches (1.3 x 20.3 cm), this slender strip was designed as an "insertion"—a narrow lace band meant to be sewn into the seams of garments, enhancing collars, cuffs, or linens with elegant embellishment. Crafted during the Renaissance, when Italy, particularly Venice, led Europe in lace production, bobbin lace represented the pinnacle of textile artistry. Artisans used f...