Border
Unknown Artist
mid-17th century
Medium
Needle lace
Dimensions
L. 22 x W. 1 3/4 inches (55.9 x 4.4 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Laces
Culture
Italian, Venice
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase by subscription, 1909
Accession Number
09.68.110
Art Historical Context
Step into the intricate world of 17th-century Venetian lace this exquisite *Border*, a masterful example of needle lace crafted by an unknown artist around the mid-1600s. Measuring 22 inches long and just 1¾ inches wide, this slender strip was likely designed as a decorative edging for garments, collars, or ecclesiastical vestments, showcasing Venice's unrivaled mastery in lacemaking during the Baroque era. Needle lace, or *punto in aria* ("stitch in air"), was prized technique where artisans freely manipulated fine linen threads with a needle and buttonhole stitches to create airy, sculptura...