Strip
Unknown Artist
18th century
Medium
Bobbin lace
Dimensions
L. 77 x W. 1 3/4 inches (195.6 x 4.4 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Laces
Culture
Flemish, Mechlin
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase by subscription, 1909
Accession Number
09.68.249
Art Historical Context
In the opulent world of 18th-century Europe, lace was the pinnacle of luxury and craftsmanship, adorning the elite's garments from ruffled cuffs to flouncing hems. This exquisite *Strip*, crafted in Flemish Mechlin style, exemplifies bobbin lace at its finest. Measuring an impressive 77 inches long just 1¾ inches wide, this narrow length was likely designed as a trimming or insertion for fashionable dresses, waistcoats, or ecclesiastical vestments, showcasing the wearer's status through its delicate intricacy. Bobbin lace, a technique originating in Flanders, involves deftly twisting and inte...