Cleveland Museum of Art

Towel with Border of Figures of Men and Animals

Date

1700s-1800s

Medium

Linen: needle lace (cutwork and drawnwork), straight (continuous) bobbin lace, tape lace edging

Culture

Russia

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

On each end of this cloth is a lace border depicting a man walking with his mule and two birds flying above. The man and his mule are approached by a large feline, perhaps a panther, which is a common motif in Russian textiles. Metallic and colored silk threads are used to render the figures and create individualized details. Handmade lace for marriage dowries was produced in large quantities in Russia during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

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