Comment

Comment by deborah greenfield on April 15, 2018 at 4:51am

Thank you both. That's all fascinating. Yes, looking under a magnifying glass and holding the piece up to the light there are some thickened areas but not always. In most cases it looks like the braid is threaded once through the edge of the tape. The fabric of this piece is very fine and lightweight, possibly linen, and the braids are very fine as well. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge. Not being a lace maker I don't understand all of what you say but certainly this deepens the way I look at this piece. 

Comment by Lorelei Halley Administrator on April 14, 2018 at 8:29pm

I agree with Nancy. -- early 18th century or last half of 17th.  The lace may not have started out its life as lappets, but may have been cobbled into that form to serve a useful purpose. According to Santina Levey one distinguishing factor for the Flemish/Milanes question is how the braided attachment (I like to call them "joinings") works. In Flemish the braid is thrown across the gap, then sewn onto the edge of the lace until the next space where a joining needs to be. She thinks that Milanese did it differently. A braid, often with picots, was thrown across, sewn, then braided back to its starting point and sewn. This means that the Milanese method might have the joinings made as the tape itself was being made. But in the Flemish version the tape would be completed and then 4 more bobbins would be added temporarily to make the joining.

Your piece looks like the Milanese method, but I am not certain. There should be a thickened area where the braid was carried along the edge of the tape, but it is inconsistent in this piece. Perhaps you might be able to tell with the actual piece in hand, with good magnification.

This piece is not pure tape lace, which I define (in an idiosyncratic manner), as a lace where the tape has a constant number of bobbins throughout, with no bobbins added or cut out, and without discrete motifs, such as the flowers in this piece. It looks like a tape lace stylistically, but structurally is a part lace. It is just that the design has not migrated to the distinct flowers and leaves of Brussles or Duchesse. In my private study at the textile department at the Art Institute of Chicago, I saw many Flemish and Milanese laces. Both regions might produce laces with discrete motifs, or without them (and only a pure tape). At that time I could not tell the difference between the 2 places of origin, except by Levey's idea about the joinings. Stylistically they were indistinguishable. Although at the time I knew a good deal less than I do now.

An interesting piece.

Comment by Nancy A. Neff on April 14, 2018 at 5:36pm

I agree that this is early 18th C, could be as early as late 17th C but unlikely given the floral design. It could be either Milanese or Flemish--there are few non-cloth stitch design areas in the tapes, which to me indicates it's as likely to be Flemish. (At first I thought the cross-hatch filling in the flowers was a stitch I see in the 17th-to-18th C Antwerp laces but it's not, so that isn't evidence one way or the other.) Other points to consider: Does the guipure argue for Italian vs. Flemish? Were lappets worn in Italy?

Comment by deborah greenfield on April 14, 2018 at 3:39pm

Thank you Carolina. That's very helpful. As is your interesting page. The slide show is great!

Comment by Carolina de la Guardia on April 14, 2018 at 3:26pm

If you like to read some more info about Milanese lace, maybe you will visit my site

 http://carolgallego.com/milaneselace/

Comment by Carolina de la Guardia on April 14, 2018 at 3:23pm

I think this is a Milanese lace. Ground bar,  probably from early 18 century.

Comment by deborah greenfield on April 14, 2018 at 9:48am

Hello experts, Here is what I believe is an 18th C tape lace lappet...?? Any info or thoughts much appreciated. Thanks in advance. Deborah

Comment by Jo Edkins on March 6, 2018 at 4:41am

Nope. I just put "fashion history vol" into Google! That link I gave has some reviews which might give you some idea. That book has 2 volumes. It might not be the one you were talking about.

Comment by Lorelei Halley Administrator on March 5, 2018 at 7:20pm

Jo, thanks. Do you have any detail about the contents?

Comment by Jo Edkins on March 5, 2018 at 6:10pm

Could it be

Fashion: A History from the 18th to the 20th Century (Taschen, No. 25) (Midi S.) (2 Volumes)

https://www.amazon.com/Fashion-History-Century-Taschen-Volumes/dp/3...

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