Alençon lace trim

Status

Not on view

Label Text

Lace, the product of intense, time-consuming hand work, signaled prestige, power, and wealth, and acted as important finishing touch on elite dress. Martha Washington owned several sets of lace that she used to adorn her gowns, caps, and other accessories. She may have used this Alençon lace as a sleeve ruffle or as the edging on a cap. The hexagonal mesh ground, cordonnet (thick outline thread), bridges, and buttonhole stitches on this piece are typical of the Alençon lace style.

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Date1765-1775

Geography Made - France

Medium/TechniqueLinen, needle lace

DimensionsOverall: 2 5/8 in. × 27 1/4 in. (6.67 cm × 69.22 cm)

Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph G. Newman, 1984

Object numberW-2991/H

DescriptionAlençon white linen bobbin lace featuring a tightly-pulled hexagonal mesh ground, with motifs of large S-scrolls with springs of flowers. The blossoms on each sprig vary. Decorative holes dot the motifs. A meandering vine of flowers with large oval reserves of bars and rings runs above the lower edge. The edge itself is decorated with smaller oval reserves of large mesh linked by a chain design all edged with “picots” (tiny loops of thread). Several key features of Alençon are identifiable in this piece: a thick cordonnet (outline thread), which is covered in buttonhole stitches, and bridges.
Published ReferencesElizabeth M. Kurella, A Guide to Lace and Linens (Norfolk, Virginia: Antique Trader Books, 1998), 91. (general reference)

Anne Kraatz, Lace: History and Fashion (New York: Rizzoli, 1989), 72,129. (general reference)

Santina M. Levey, Lace: A History (London: Victoria & Albert Museum, 1983), 53-54. (general reference)

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