Border
Unknown Artist
16th or 17th century
Medium
Linen
Dimensions
8 x 54 1/2 in. (20.3 x 138.4 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Laces
Culture
Italian
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.1782
Art Historical Context
This exquisite linen lace border, crafted by an unknown Italian artist in the 16th or 17th century, exemplifies golden age of Italian needlework. Measuring a slender 8 x 54½ inches, its elongated form suggests it was designed as an edging for garments, altar cloths, or table linensluxury items that showcased wealth and piety among Europe's elite. Housed in Metropolitan Museum of Art's Lehman Collection since 197, it reflects the refined craftsmanship of Renaissance and early Baroque Italy, where cities like Venice and Milan pioneered intricate lace techniques. Italian laces from this era were...