Fragment
Unknown Artist
17th century
Medium
Bobbin lace
Dimensions
L. 11 x W. 2 1/4 inches (27.9 x 5.7 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Laces
Culture
Dutch
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Margaret Taylor Johnstone, 1906
Accession Number
06.519
Art Historical Context
This delicate fragment of bobbin lace, crafted in the Netherlands during the 17th, offers a glimpse into the opulent world of Dutch Golden Age textiles. Measuring just 11 by 2¼ inches (27.9 x 5.7 cm), this narrow strip exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of the era, when lace became a hallmark of wealth and status. Adorning collars, cuffs, and trims on elite clothing, such pieces were prized possessions, reflecting the booming trade and artistic innovation in Flemish and Dutch lace centers like Brussels and Mechlin. Bobbin lace, the medium here, is a labor-intensive technique where thread...