Hell all spiders,
Being a hobby for me lace history, I would like to add my two cents to
this thread and as a follow up to the phrase said by Tamara:
>“I haven't given up yet (half of the book still to be read) but, it
looks, like there's not a trace of bobbin lace in >Venice before 1525.
And yet, they were selling it 9yrs later... So, did it spring from the
sea, in its finished perfection, >like Venus herself? None of the slow
gestation (development) period which could have been expected?”
Spain is almost unknown when we talk of Lace History. The main reason is
because there are not written evidences, nor pattern books dedicated to
laces of the ancient world.
Besides of Florence Lewis May, curator emeritus of textiles for the
Hispanic Society of America’s Museum in Manhattan, the referrer we have
on laces here in Spain, is the book published in 1076 by Mª Angeles
Gonzalez Mena: CATALOGO DE ENCAJES Y BORDADOS (ISBN 84-400-7927-7).
She considered lace as any type of knotting : One or more threads
joined together forming a framework by combining twisted or plaited
grounds with shaded motifs, following a proper rule created by the
craftsmen/women.
Said this, macramé is an early art of decorative knotting. The origin
of the word is from the Turkish “makrama”. It was a handicraft worked
by Assyrian and Persian, great teachers of this art. Arabs spread later
this art for the Mediterranean, including Spain, where we have record of
it, mainly taken from sculptures, paints and illustrations as well as
historical quotes.
So, I keep the theory that macramé, as an early art made with hands,
together with passementeries, have contributed to evolve to what we have
known later as bobbin lace.
I translate some historical quotes reported on the book of Mª Angeles
Gonzalez Mena, all of them make reference to 13th, and 15th, Centuries.
One of the ancient lace piece records from XIV cent. Is a corporal (it
is displayed in Pedralbes Monastery, Barcelona) which is framed with a
gold needle lace. It seems that Elisenda de Montcada, wife of Jaime II
(1291-1327) gave it to the Convent.
It is also recorded a piece of lace corresponding to a priest vestment
related to San Bernardo Calvó (13th.cent.) displayed in Vich Museum,
that it is considered as a first example of Spanish lace. It is a work
of twisted an interwoven white and gold threads.
Other recorded pieces are those found and stored in the burial place of
the Royal Family at the Real Monasterio de las Huelgas (Burgos, Spain):
Enrique I from Castilla, wearing a needle lace cap. Macramé gloves, worn
by Maria de Aragón, as well as 2 filet lace cushions belonging to
Sancho, son of Alfonso XI. All corresponding to 13th, century.
About 1469, they are described and quoted bobbin and needle lace on an
inventory ordered for the wedding of Isabel I Castilla and Fernando I
Aragón also known as The Catholics.
It is known too that their daughter: Catalina, married with Henry VIII
(King of England) carried with her large quantity of laces Spanish style.
It is also well known the success that Puntas de España (the golden
thread laces) had during 15th, Cent., contemporary to Le Pompe, if I am
not wrong.
It is sure that before Le Pompe, other laces were worked in Italy as it
was in Spain, and business deal help to spread all sort of crafts
between different European countries: Italy, Spain, France, Antwerp,
Germany, etc.
The weddings among different European Royal Families also provide to
expanding it.
Perhaps this mail has been sooo long, excuse me.
Carolina. Barcelona. Spain.
____
Carolina de la Guardia
http://www.geocities.com/carolgallego
Witch Stitch Lace
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