Piece
Unknown Artist
early 19th century
Medium
Bobbin lace
Dimensions
L. 10 1/2 x 2 inches 26.7 x 5.1 cm
Classification
Textiles-Laces
Culture
British, Northamptonshire
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
08.180.41
Art Historical Context
This exquisite bobbin lace piece, originating from Northamptonshire, Britain, in the early th century, exemplifies the region's renowned tradition of handmade lace production. Measuring just 10½ by 2 inches (26.7 x 5.1 cm), this fragment showcases the precision and patience required in bobbin lacemaking—a technique where threads are twisted and plaited around weighted bobbins pinned to a pillow. Northamptonshire was a lace-making hub during this era, with skilled artisans, often women, creating intricate designs for fashion, furnishings, and ecclesiastical uses before machine production began ...