Fragment of a Border with Abstract Pattern

16th century

Fragment of a Border with Abstract Pattern, 16th century. Italy, Sicily, 16th century. Needle lace, burato (twined ground and darned in one direction) and bobbin lace edging; brown silk (est.), unbleached and bleached linen (est.), or cotton (est.); overall: 8 x 19.1 cm (3 1/8 x 7 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of J. H. Wade 1920.1123 The dark yellow ground of the unbleached linen allows for the pattern, worked in bleached linen in the buratto technique, to stand out. Brown silk thread has also been incorporated, adding a shimmering effect to the contrasting colors. The frayed quality of the fragment causes the buratto pattern to appear abstracted, but it was likely a flowering vine.