I think I can contribute a little to the non-lace part of this dicussion. I began religious life as a Poor Clare, which is indeed part of the Franciscan family of orders. There are two contemplative Orders of nuns (the kind who did a lot of needlework) that wear brown habits: the Carmelites and the Poor Clares. The large, rounded wimple worn on the outside distinguishes the Poor Clares from the Carmelites, who have a different shaped wimple that they wear under a scapular. These nuns don't have scapulars, so that is another indication. They are also barefoot, which is part of the Poor Clare tradition. Furthermore, the Poor Clare tradition is for the nuns all to work in the same room, even if they are doing different kinds of work, whereas Carmelites have a more solitary tradition and work alone in their cells or workshops.
Finally, if you look closely you can see that they are handling their "cords" (the knotted-rope cincture) in exactly the same way I do today. It is pulled up from where it hangs on the right and across the lap, but with the end still on the right side. The room is probably the warmest and best lit in the whole house, poor lambs. The book being read is surely not the Bible because at that time the Bible would not have been read aloud outside the church or choir. It is almost certainly a spiritual work or one of "pious instructions". The sisters would have taken turns reading, so it is not surprising that reader also has a pillow. Bergamo is in Lombardy. It has no lace tradition of its own that I am aware of, but is not far from Cantù and Milan. Nothing very lacey, I'm afraid, but some general FYI. =) Sr. Claire Edith - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
