Cleveland Museum of Art

Border with Floral Motifs

Date

1800s

Medium

Bleached linen (est.): needle lace, filet/lacis (knotted ground and darned in one direction)

Culture

Italy, Sardinia

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

A tendril motif is a recurring pattern in needle lace. The frequent use of the motif, adapted in lace from different centuries and regions, suggests that it was found in a pattern book. Here, the pattern is unusually ornate with additional swirling and flowering motifs. This lace was given to the museum by Louise Tifft Brown, a native Clevelander who became an expert in lace while living in Venice for 35 years.

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