Carolina and Devon Unfortunately I know nothing at all about the history of Spanish tape lace, and very little about the origins of Czech and Russian tape lace. I do know that Italy has been producing constant width tape laces since the 19th century. And I think these are probably the recent end of the tradition started with Milanese tape lace in the 17th century. Ricci's book has photos of many constant width tape laces. It is not a far stretch to infer that Slovenian tape lace is a direct development out of this Italian tradition, since Italy and Slovenia have had constant trade links for many hundreds of years. However Idrija tape has more similarities with Schneeberger than with Italian. Idrija and Schneeberger both widen a tape by putting twists on the weaver in between each passive when the tape widens, and then removing the twists to condense the threads when the tape narrows. During the 19th century there were quite a few people of German ethnicity living in eastern Europe. They may be the conduit for lace styles to transfer back and forth between the Czechs, Slovenians and Germans. But this last comment is pure speculation. It is possible that Slovenia was in a better position to adopt the Italian tradition than any of the others because of the geographical closeness and the trade links. But this is also speculation. I just don't know how far back in time the tradition of Idrija tape goes. It may or may not be older than the lace school in Idrija. Also if you read Tolstoy you learn that there were also many people of German ethnicity living in Russia during the 19th century. Again they may have been the conduit. But this also is speculation.
What possible connection is there between Spanish and Flemish political links (which did exist, although I'm fuzzy on the dates) and these political links may have made it possible for the Flemish tape lace tradition to transfer to Spain. But, as you say, Milan may be the origin of this tradition. Devon, by the way there is another book to check for the Russian tape lace tradition: RUSSIAN BOBBIN LACE, intro by Valeria Faleyeva, publ by Aurora Art Publishers, Leningrad 1986. This one also has several metallic laces from the late 1600s, which are straight/continuous lace. There are also several 18th century (1700s) laces in metallic threads, also straight laces. In the 18th century linen laces appear and these look like torchon or some mesh grounded lace with clothwork figures of animals, plants and people. (Elizabeth Kurella used to have a piece like this, and when I saw it I was stumped about its origin.) Tape laces don't appear until the late 18th century (late 1700s), and these look much like the constant width tape laces I saw at the Art Institute of Chicago: they are very much like Milanese tape laces, almost indistinguishable. As time goes on, the designs simplify and take on the peasant character typical of Russian and 19th century Italian tape lace. When I call something peasant, I am no denigrating it. My maternal grandmother was a peasant. Faleyeva says that early lace in Russia was passementerie of metallic thread made only for the czar's family and court. That at first the linen and silk laces were imported. That in Peter the Great's time a lace workshop was opened in Moscow with lace makers from Brabant as the supervisors. By the mid 18th century (1750 approx) Russia had enough lace makers to satisfy demand and lace was not longer imported. She also says that Russians mastered the part lace technique in the last half of the 1700s. But she doesn't say anything about where this tradition came from. She says that in the 19th century lace making factories were set up in several cities. But that lace was also made on landed country estates by serfs, and that these laces were copied from foreign-made items. So, if Faleyeva is correct, Russian lace making stems from the Flemish tradition, but that once they learned the method they copied western imported examples and then changed them to suit local taste and use. Of course, I have no idea what Faleyeva used to verify her statements. Documentation from a few hundred years ago is often sparse and may tell only part of the story. And this still doesn't tell us anything about Idrija, Czech, Schneeberger or Spanish tape lace. History is fun, but can be very frustrating. Lorelei - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
