The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 18, 2024

Cloth with Floral and Vegetal Patterns

Cloth with Floral and Vegetal Patterns

1560–1600
needle lace, filet/lacis (knotted ground and darned in two directions), alternating reticella squares (open cutwork), and bobbin lace edging; bleached linen (est.)
Mounted: 148 x 151.1 cm (58 1/4 x 59 1/2 in.); Overall: 145.1 x 144.2 cm (57 1/8 x 56 3/4 in.)
Gift of Mrs. Edward B. Greene, G. G. Wade and J. H. Wade, Jr. for the Ellen Garretson Wade Memorial Collection 1923.995
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

The large size and square shape suggest that this textile would likely have been used as a table cloth.

Description

Textiles often incorporate multiple needlework techniques within a single piece. One of the main techniques in this example of lace is called cutwork. In cutwork, portions of the textile ground, such as a linen or cotton cloth, are cut away and threads are removed to create holes. The edges of the hole are then reinforced with embroidery and a pattern of needle lace can be created within the perimeter. Rather than adding to the cloth to create a design, the craftsperson removes threads to fabricate a pattern.
  • Milliken, William Mathewson. “Lace and Its Development: I. The Beginnings.” Antiques 1 (May 1922): 211-216. Mentioned: p. 213; Reproduced: p. 215 fig. 8 (detail)
    Browne, Clare Woodthorpe, and Christine Smith. Lace from the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: V & A Publications, 2004. plate 4
    Cleveland Museum of Art. The CMA Companion: A Guide to the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2014. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 374
  • Renaissance lace rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 16, 2013-December 15, 2014).
  • {{cite web|title=Cloth with Floral and Vegetal Patterns|url=false|author=|year=1560–1600|access-date=18 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1923.995