Fragment of a Band with Abstract Pattern

1500s

Fragment of a Band with Abstract Pattern, 1500s. Italy, Venice, 16th century. Bleached linen: needle lace, burato (twined ground and darned in one direction); overall: 5.1 x 25.5 cm (2 x 10 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of J. H. Wade 1920.1101 In the buratto technique, the background pattern, known as the ground, is created by threads twined together. The tight twining on this ground contributes to the intricacy of the meandering geometric patterns. The word lace derives from the Latin laqueus, meaning noose.