Cleveland Museum of Art

Fragment of Band with Vegetal Motifs

Date

1600s

Medium

Bleached linen (est.): needle lace, filet/lacis (knotted ground and darned in two directions) and cutwork insertion

Culture

Spain

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

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.

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