1700s–1800s
Cotton or linen (est.); straight (continuous) bobbin lace; ground with interspersed motifs of plant and animal forms in plain weave outlined with gimp (heavy cord); applied silk (est.) ribbon
Overall: 30 x 39 cm (11 13/16 x 15 3/8 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1931.106
Lace making was a common tradition in many cultures because it displayed the skill of the mother or daughter who made the lace.
This lace was used to embellish a towel end. Textiles of this type are valuable for their lacework depicting ancient folk motifs, ritual significance, exemplification of the role of textiles in Russian society, and connection to a prominent woman collector, Natalia de Shabelsky, without whom this textile and others like it might have been lost.
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