Flounce
Unknown Artist
17th–18th century
Medium
Bobbin lace
Dimensions
L. 138 x W. 19 inches (350.5 x 48.3 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Laces
Culture
Flemish
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Edward S. Harkness, 1930
Accession Number
30.135.126
Art Historical Context
Step into the opulent world of 17th–18th century Flemish with *Flounce*, a stunning of bobbin lace from Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts. Measuring an impressive 138 inches long 19 inches wide, this narrow strip was likely designed as a decorative border or edging for garments, as the elaborate flounces on sleeves or skirts of elite women's dresses. Gifted by Mrs. Edward S. Hark in 1930, it exemplifies the exquisite textiles that defined luxury in early modern Europe. Bobbin lace, a hallmark of Flemish craftsmanship, involves intricately twisting and intertw...