Square
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Bobbin lace
Dimensions
L. 5 1/2 x W. 4 1/2 inches (14.0 x 11.4 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Laces
Culture
Flemish
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
08.180.196
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum of's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, where this delicate *Square* exemplifies the artistry of 19th-century Flemish bob lace. Measuring just 5½ by 4½ inches (14.0 x 11.4 cm), this textile panel, created by an unknown artist, the precision and elegance of lace from Flanders—a region long celebrated for its lace-making heritage. Bobbin lace, the medium here, involves twisting and intertwining fine threads held on handheld bobbins over a patterned pillow, creating intricate, openwork designs. By the 19th century, Flemish lacemakers had refined this techn...