On January 13th, the small lace exhibit in the Ratti Gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York will be closing. The exhibit consists of 12 exceptional pieces of lace from the museum's collection, plus a lace dress and three related framed pieces of art. You might like to print this review and take it with you, if you intend to view the exhibit in person. Under a portrait of Mrs. Caroline Astor, whose lace accessories recall the lace revival of the late 19th C., are three examples calling upon the tradition of Italian needle lace. 1) The earliest lace, a 16th C. Punto in Aria center from a chalice veil, depicts a saint with finely realized facial features. 2) Another piece is a collar in the style of the 19th C., crafted from a late 17th C. Point de Neige lace. It not only showcases this fine needlelace but pays homage to the 19th C. passion for lace that resulted in its revival in fashion and the establishment of many of the great lace collections of today. 3) The third piece is a cravat end. It is a 19th C. Austrian version of Gros Point in which the heavily embellished beauty of 17th C. Gros Point is reprised with 19th C. one-upmanship by the addition of three-dimensional petals and leaves. The opposite wall is adorned with two reproductions of paintings of bobbin lacemakers dating from the 17th C. Beneath these are a 18th C. Brussels bobbin lace cravat end, 4) said to have belonged to the Empress Maria Theresa. The fine thread and workmanship made it possible to include several vignettes on this small costume item. These include mythical female figures on horseback and boar hunting in which the feisty boars are equipped with three dimensional bristles in "ten stick". 5) Another cravat end, said to have been made for the wedding of Louis XIV's grandson, depicts an elaborate hunting tableau in Point de France. In the center of the lace are two children, one with a rifle and the other with a bow, beneath a tree. They are framed by other symbols of the hunt including no fewer than six dogs and a fox. Each dog is differently worked using delightful stitch variations. 6) A third cravat end, in Brussels bobbin lace, depicts a parterre garden with fountains and birds. A masterpiece in bobbin lace, the piece demonstrates breathtaking control of half stitch and excellent use of raised work. Two handkerchiefs made for the same Belgian royal couple are also displayed. 7) One is a mixed lace handkerchief with Point de Gaze inserts. It shows incredible shading accomplished by adding or subtracting a return thread. 8) The other handkerchief bears the distinction of having its central "linen" woven in a complex design of a compass rose and crowns, while an intricate bobbin-made fringe is as unique as it is puzzling in its mode of execution. 9) The final piece in this case is a Argentella lace cap back dating to the first half of the 18th C. Argentella, the name given to beautiful hexagonal grounded needlelaces, was made for only a brief period in French lace making regions. On the adjacent wall are three other pieces. 10) The first, a cap back made in Mechlin lace, depicts Orpheus playing his lyre, surrounded by animals and birds. The piece is made in three strips, each utilizing over 250 pairs of bobbins. The irregular edges are joined invisibly. It is quite rare to have a Mechlin piece that is such an elaborate figural scene. 11) Another cap back displayed in this case is made in Point de Venise a reseau, the fine flat needlelace of the early 18th C. Geometric zig-zag and diaper patterns fill the curved petals of a lily in a vase and two lush pomegranates that flank it. 12) A Honiton handkerchief presents an example of naturalistic flowers. This fine piece is associated with the mid to late 19th C. upgrading of design undertaken by English reformers drawing on Pre-Raphaelite artists and the students of newly-formed design schools. On the final wall is a mannequin wearing a dress that belonged to socialite and lace fancier, Rita de Acosta Lydig. That Lydig's appreciation for lace was more than superficial is demonstrated by the choice of a very heavy and gothic looking filet with an equestrian theme. It recalls the earliest laces produced for furnishing purposes, and is crafted using historical pattern books of the 16th C. This exhibit draws attention to lace masterpieces that were assembled by American lace collectors. For those people unable to visit the exhibit, all the pieces except the dress are displayed on the museum web site. Photographs of the laces are in such high definition that it is possible to understand the construction on a thread-by-thread level by clicking on individual photographs several times. Please note that fragile old laces with stains have not been cleaned or pressed! Remember this when you think your collected laces must be picture perfect! Go to: _http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2012/european-lace_ (http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2012/european-lace) Jeri Ames in Maine USA Lace and Embroidery Resource Center
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