Fragment of a Band with Branching Vegetation

17th century

Fragment of a Band with Branching Vegetation, 17th century. Spain, 17th century. Needle lace, filet/lacis (knotted ground and darned in two directions); bleached linen (est.); overall: 17.6 x 23 cm (6 15/16 x 9 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Myrta Leonora Jones 1919.776 Budding vegetation or a tendril motif is a recurring pattern in needle lace. The frequent use of the motif, adapted in lace from different centuries and regions, suggests that it was found in a pattern book. Myrta Leonora Jones, the donor of this work, was a women’s rights activist in Cleveland in the early 20th century.