Fragment of Band with Vegetal Motifs

17th century

Fragment of Band with Vegetal Motifs, 17th century. Spain, 17th century. Needle lace, filet/lacis (knotted ground and darned in two directions) and cutwork insertion; bleached linen (est.); overall: 31.5 x 55.6 cm (12 3/8 x 21 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Myrta Leonora Jones 1919.778 Textiles often incorporate multiple needlework techniques within a single piece. The insert in the center of this piece of lace is made using the cutwork technique. In cutwork, portions of the textile ground, such as a linen or cotton cloth, are cut away and threads are removed to create holes. The edges of the hole are then reinforced with embroidery and a pattern of needle lace can be created within the perimeter. Rather than adding to the cloth to create a design, the craftsperson removes threads to fabricate a pattern. The cutwork may have been inserted to replace a damaged area. Myrta Leonora Jones, the donor of this lace, was a women’s rights activist in Cleveland in the early 20th century.