Barbe (one end)
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Bobbin lace
Dimensions
L. 11 x W. 11 inches 27.9 x 27.9 cm
Classification
Textiles-Laces
Culture
Belgian, Brussels
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Nuttall Collection, Gift of Mrs. Magdalena Nuttall, 1908
Accession Number
08.180.212
Art Historical Context
Behold the exquisite *Barbe (one end)*, a masterful example of 19th-centurybin lace from Brussels,—a city long celebrated as the epicenter of European lace production. Crafted by an unknown artisan, this square piece measures a precise 11 x 11 inches (27.9 x 27.9 cm) and represents one end of a *barbe*, a traditional lappet or fall often worn as part of a woman's headdress or collar in fashionable or ecclesiastical attire. Its delicate intricacy showcases the height of Brussels lace artistry, where fine linen threads were meticulously twisted and plaited to create airy patterns evoking floral ...