Border
Unknown Artist
late 17th century
Medium
Needle lace
Dimensions
L. 129 1/2 x W. 3 inches (328.9 x 7.6 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Laces
Culture
Italian
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Edward S. Harkness, 1946
Accession Number
46.158.1
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Border*, crafted by an unknown Italian artist in the late 17 century, exemplifies the pinnacle of needle lace artistry from Renaissance Venice and its surrounding regions. Measuring an impressive 129½ inches long by just 3 inches wide this delicate textile was likely designed as an edging for luxurious garments, ecclesiastical vestments, or opulent furnishings. Needle lace, or *punto in aria*, involved meticulously stitching fine linen threads with a needle to create intricate, free-form patterns suspended in air— a labor-intensive technique that demanded extraordinary skill an...