Edging
Unknown Artist
first half 16th century
Medium
Bobbin lace
Dimensions
L. 10 1/2 x W. 3 inches (26.7 x 7.6 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Laces
Culture
Italian, Genoa
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1920
Accession Number
20.186.188
Art Historical Context
This delicate bobbin lace edging, in Genoa, Italy, during the first half of 16th century, the Renaissance mastery of textile arts. Measuring just 10½ 3 inches, this strip was likely designed as a luxurious trim for garments, linens, or ecclesiastical vestments, showcasing Genoa's prominence as a leading lace-making hub. In an era when Italy dominated Europe's luxury crafts, Genoese lace symbolized wealth and refinement, often adorning the attire of nobility and clergy. Bobbin lace, the medium here, involved skilled artisans twisting and intertwining fine silk or linen threads around weighted ...