Band
Unknown Artist
17th century
Medium
Drawnwork
Dimensions
L. 15 x W. 2 inches 38.1 x 5.1 cm
Classification
Textiles-Laces
Culture
Italian, Sicily
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. William M. Kingsland, 1908
Accession Number
08.195.3
Art Historical Context
This delicate **Band**, crafted in 17th-century Sicily, Italy, exemplifies the artistry of drawnwork—a labor-intensive lace technique where threads are meticulously drawn from woven fabric, leaving intricate openwork patterns formed by knotted or looped remaining threads. Measuring a slender 15 x 2 inches (38.1 x 5.1 cm), this narrow strip was likely used as ornamental trim for garments, linens, or ecclesiastical vestments, showcasing the period's fascination with luxurious textiles. In Baroque-era Sicily, under Spanish influence, drawnwork flourished as a hallmark of regional needlework, ble...