Fragment
Unknown Artist
17th century
Medium
Needle lace
Dimensions
L. 10 x W. 3 1/4 inches (25.4 x 8.3 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Laces
Culture
Italian, Venice
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
08.180.483
Art Historical Context
This delicate **Fragment** of 17th-century needle lace from Venice exemplifies the pinnacle of Italian textile artistry during the Baroque era. Measuring just 10 by 3¼ inches (25.4 x 8.3 cm), this piece, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's of European Sculpture and Decor Arts, survives as a testament to the city's renowned lacemaking tradition. Crafted by an unknown artist, it belongs to the elite world of **Textiles-Laces**, where Venice dominated as Europe's lace capital. Needle lace, known aspunto in aria*point in air"), involved stitching fine linen threads freely in space to c...