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Point de Gaze lace trim

Lace Edging,
1850-1900,
Probably linen; point de gaze needlelace
Point de Gaze lace trim
Lace Edging,
1850-1900,
Probably linen; point de gaze needlelace
Lace Edging, 1850-1900, Probably linen; point de gaze needlelace
Status
Not on view
Label Text

In the late-nineteenth century, Belgian Point de Gaze lace was the most sought after choice for women’s dress for its elaborate decoration and its light mesh ground. This ostentatious piece likely served as the trim or flounce on a dress. The piece features classic Point de Gaze elements, including the gauze-like mesh ground, the thin cordonnet (outline thread) around each motif, and the elaborate multiplicity of closely spaced geometric and organic designs. Each of the flowers feature characteristic holes in their centers. Its distinct style and high quality would have openly displayed the wearer’s wealth. This lace descended in the Lewis family of Virginia.

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Date1865-1890
Geography Made - Belgium
Medium/TechniqueLinen, needle lace
DimensionsOverall: 28 3/8 in. (72.07 cm)
Credit LineGift of Colonel and Mrs. Edward Parke Custis Lewis Cumming, 1990
Object numberA-1143.6
DescriptionBelgian Point de Gaze needle lace featuring bouquets of three flowers and seven sprigs of leaves in checkerboard boxes alternating with falling sprays of three small flowers and two sprigs of leaves above three linked rings. Tiny rings are scattered across the central ground, where organic motifs dominate. The scalloped lower edge of the lace is decorated with alternating fans and rows of leaves edged with picots (tiny loops). Two rows of large scale buttonhole mesh complete the interior or upper edge of the lace. The techniques used are characteristic of Point de Gaze: the loose buttonhole mesh, the decorative dots, the relatively thin cordonnet (outline thread) surrounding the main motifs, and the variety of fillings. As is also typical for Point de Gaze lace, the center of each flower features a tiny hole surrounded by buttonhole stitches.
Published ReferencesElizabeth M. Kurella, A Guide to Lace and Linens (Norfolk, Virginia: Antique Trader Books, 1998), 186-87. (general reference)

Anne Kraatz, Lace: History and Fashion (New York: Rizzoli, 1989), 115, 123-24, 130. (general reference)
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