Hello Rose, The painting is fantastic. I love Vermeer. And to your observation I want to add that I imagine that this system of heating was used by many people in those times, including, possibly, lacemakers.
Here in Spain, for example, many years later (around 1950), my mother, who was a school teacher in a small rural village in the center of Spain, had a tin with hot coal or wood, and also with holes. Everyday a different child had to take this heater from home to heat the school room! A big difference with today! Best wishes and a HAPPY NEW YEAR full of bobbin lace projects to all Arachneans!! Antje González, from Spain, after a freezing night! (-6º) www.vueltaycruz.es - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
