Fragment
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Needle lace
Dimensions
L. 10 1/2 x W. 3/4 inches 26.7 x 1.9 cm
Classification
Textiles-Laces
Culture
Greek, Athens
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Nuttall Collection, Gift of Mrs. Magdalena Nuttall, 1908
Accession Number
08.180.388
Art Historical Context
This delicate *Fragment* of needle lace, crafted by an unknown artist in 19th-century Athens, Greece, exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of traditional Greek textile arts. Measuring just 10½ by ¾ inches (26.7 x 1.9 cm), this slender strip showcases the labor-intensive needle lace technique, where artisans meticulously stitched linen threads onto a paper pattern using a needle and buttonhole stitches to form intricate, freeform motifs. Unlike bobbin lace, which uses weights and bobbins, needle lace allowed for highly detailed, sculptural designs that mimicked embroidery's precision, often ...