Border
1701/50
Medium
Linen, bobbin straight lace
Dimensions
4.9 × 19.7 cm (2 × 7 3/4 in.); Weft repeat: H.: 6.7 cm (2 5/8 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
38842
Art Historical Context
This delicate linen border, crafted between 1701 and 1750, exemplifies the exquisite artistry of bobbin straight lace, a technique popular in 17th- and 18th-century Europe. Measuring just 4.9 × 19.7 cm with a repeating weft pattern of 6.7 cm in height, it served as an elegant trimming for garments, linens, or furnishings. Bobbin lace, made by twisting and intertwining threads held on small bobbins over a patterned pillow, allowed lacemakers—often women in Flanders, Italy, or France—to create intricate, durable designs that mimicked needle lace's finesse but with greater efficiency for straight...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...