Where did you get this information, just out of curiosity? Admittedly, off the top of my head, I would consider the use of the term wire, to actually mean gimp, or if writing for a non-lace public, perhaps "thicker thread" is the term to be used. I would also think that a reference to the ground, the Mechlin ground (Mechlin being another term for Malines) would be appropriate in a description of the lace, if that is the purpose. I assume that it is not the weapons of Malines, but the coat of arms that is supposed to have the design of flowers with four leaves, however, coats of arms of Malines that appear on Wikpedia don't have any flower on them and examples of Mechlin lace on Wikpedia seem to include a wide range of flowers, including the carnation. Perhaps the author was trying to say that elaborate grounds that feature quadrefoil designs are not uncommon in Malines/Mechlin lace. I would think that the lace of Malines/Mechlin would follow the general design trends of all the laces at the time that it was being made. Since Louis XV came to power in 1715 and Louis XVI died in 1793, and this was a period in which Malines was made, the lace was characteristic of trends of this period, a period in which lace design changed radically from being almost entirely all pattern to being almost all mesh. I think they also tended to follow the designs on patterned silks of the period, featuring various different flowers at different times, having rivieres, roccoco devices, etc. depending on what decade you are talking about. This description sounds as though it has been translated or may be from a very old book. I would think that if the purpose is to get a good description of Mechlin, at least as people understand the term now, you might want to consult a more recent book. On the other hand, if it is an historical study, it might be interesting to explore the contentions, especially the one about this flower appearing on the weapons of Malines to a greater extent. Sometimes our modern conceptions of the old laces are very simplified. Interesting description. Devon In a message dated 1/5/2010 10:18:36 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, [email protected] writes:
Hello everyone, I need your help. :-) The lace of Malines is a bobbin lace. It is characterized by a wire a little thicker which determines the contour of the designs. The decorations the Malines almost always comprise a design of flowers with four leaves. The design is also present in the weapons of the town of Malines. The style of decoration of Malines lace is inspired by the periods of Louis XV and Louis XVI. Malines lace is an extremely fine and light lace. As with all laces the Malines style suffered towards the end from the 18th century because lace became less fashionable. But by about 1820 there was an important revival of interest. Does anyone knows if this information is correct? - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected] - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]
