Laces of the Italian RenaissanceSource: The Connoisseur, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Mar., 1887), pp. 42-43Published by:Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25581093 .

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LACES OF THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE.

Unknown to the ancients and only

arriving at artistic perfection since the

end of the fifteenth century, the art of

lace-making may truly be called a cre

ation of the Renaissance. And it is to

Italy, especially the two cities Venice

and Genoa, that we are indebted for

the work done upon the needle-points, as well as for the finest kind made upon cushions. The former varieties, the

so-called "points," are the costliest.

Their technique, the ground and orna

ment of which consist of laborious and

tedious single stitches, produces an ex

ceptionally charming and graceful effect.

To make it in lengths requires very careful and difficult management, since

only small pieces about ten centimeters

long can be made, which must then be

joined together in a harmonious whole, wherefore attention must be given that

the genera^ pattern be such that their

joining shall be invisible. The most

These examples of lace of the sixteenth and sev enteenth centuries are reproduced from copies

highly prized of the sewed points is the

Venetian relief point, in which all the

leaves, flowers, etc., show raised edges. A yet higher grade of this kind of lace

is reached in work with leaves in bold

relief (fig. 7 and 8). The technique of

the cushion or pillow-laces (dentelles) consists in artistic binding and inter

weaving of the threads after an ap

proved system. There are important differences of grade in these pillow laces, according to the difficulty of their

manufacture and the resulting cost.

In lace-making, plant motives are

naturally preferred, although pictorial

representations, birds, and similar ob

jects are often made use of.

Sewed Lace.?Fig. i, 2, and 3, Venetian

Point; 4, s, and 6, Relief Point; 7 and 8, same with leaves in relief; 9, Roselina Point: 10, Reticella Point.

Pillow-Lace. ? 1 1, Italian Guipure ; 12, Geno ese Church Lace ; 1}. Collar in Venetian Guipure.

in the possession of the Royal Vienna School for

Teaching Lace-making.

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