c. 1700s–1800s
Cotton or linen (est.); straight (continuous) bobbin lace (Vologda tape lace). The tape forms figural or plant motifs outlined with gimp (heavy cord) with a polychrome plaited ground linking the tape; applied silk (est.) ribbon
Overall: 26 x 37 cm (10 1/4 x 14 9/16 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1931.107
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 lace work 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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