Edging
Unknown Artist
early 19th century
Medium
Bobbin lace
Dimensions
L. 29 x W. 2 3/8 inches (73.7 x 6.0 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Laces
Culture
French
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Henry Livingston Lee, through his daughter, Mrs. F. S. Crofts, 1931
Accession Number
31.31.4
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate bobbin lace edging, crafted in France during the early 19th century exemplifies the exquisite textile arts of the Napoleonic era. Measuring 29 inches long and just 2⅜ inches wide, this narrow strip was likely designed as a decorative trim for garments, linens, or furnishings, its floral motifs—evident in the intricate blooming patterns—evoking the romantic naturalism popular in European decorative design at the time. Bobbin lace, a labor-intensive technique, involves dozens of threads wound on small bobbins, which are twisted and plaited over a patterned pillow to create fine, o...