Old Italian Lace - Vol. II.

OLD ITALIAN LACE. Volume II. Originally published in 1913. INTRODUCTION: THE two laces of Italy are like two sisters, needle-made lace being the elder and bobbin-made the younger or, to use another figure of speech, needle-lace is the classic tongue of Italy and the bobbin-make is its provincial dialect clear, vivacious, emphatic, sharing the merits and defects of the populace. Our needle-laces are each and every one of Venetian origin, if we except the drawn-thread work of Sicily, which is more embroidery than lace and take their names from the manner in which they are worked reticello, punto - tagliato, punto in aria, i.e. mesh-stitch, cut linen work, stitch in the air. The bobbin-or pillow-laces are described as being Venetian, or Genoese, or Milanese, or of Abruzzi according to the places whence they spring, and it is interesting to notice how tenaciously they cling to the characteristics of their respective birthplaces. As might be expected from their popular origin, they are less