Strip
Unknown Artist
17th century
Medium
Silk, bobbin lace
Dimensions
L. 32 3/4 x W. 4 inches (83.2 x 10.2 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Laces
Culture
Italian
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Percy Chase, 1923
Accession Number
23.274
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite silk bobbin lace strip, crafted by an unknown Italian artist in the 17 century, exemplifies the opulent decorative arts of the Baroque era. Measuring 32¾ by 4 inches, this slender length (83.2 x 10.2 cm) likely as an edging or insertion for elite garments, altar linens, or furnishings, where lace symbolized wealth and refinement. Its floral motifs, delicately woven into the fabric, capture the period's fascination with nature's abundance, rendered with the precision that made Italian lace a coveted luxury across Europe. Bobbin lace, or *punto a fuselli*, involved skilled lacema...