The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1871-08-03
Lace.


word ''lacc" was at the coronation OF
Richard Ill, when Queen Anne is said
to have worn garment trimmed with
"mantle lace of white silk aud Venys
gold, and the French word deatelle is
of later date than might be imagined.
1t first occurs in the wardrobe accounts
of Marguerite de France, who, 10 1916,
paid the sum of six livres "pour sol
zante aulnes, fair dentellc de Florance,
pour METRE des collctz." The scale
of charges for this precious commodity
was vague, for We soon after find that
"quartre liyres" were paid "pour une
auine de deutelle pour fair deuxe cor.
netres pour servir la dIcte dame,
she being Henry the Fourth's first
queen.
Before this we hear Of passament
denteue. Fashion required that the
ordinary passdment should be made
with toothed edge, and no doubt after
while the finer sorts SO named cub
sided into dentelIe Anterior to this
even our ancestors were not without a
means of decorating their draperies.
From the earliest ages they were wont
to bedeck themselves with embroider.
les, and passdment deRfeile and lace find
common origin in the ancient "cut-
work"
There is peculiar kind Of trimming
which is very ancient; the ends of the
linen were unravelled, aud thei threads
were then planted with geometric pre-.
cision. The sheet which, upon the dis
interment Of st. Cuthbert, in the twelfth
century, was found to have covered his
body, was trimmed after this fashion
IL had round it a deep fringe of linen
thread, above which was woven Dor.
der ofprojecting workmanship, fabricated
of the thread itself, bearing, the figures
of beasts aud birds" This sheet was
for long time preserved 10 the Gathe.
dral Of Durham. 1t was an early speci.
men of cut-work, the making of which
though it eventually became general
was until the dissolution of mouasteries
looked upon as church secret.
This cutwork was made in different
ways. Sometimes network of threads
was arrauged upon a small frame, and
they were crossed and ipterlaced into
many complicated patterns; beneath
this network was gummed piece ol
cloth called "quintain," frem a town in
Brittany where it was made; the net.
work was then sewn to the 'quintain," |"
by edging round those parts that were
to remain thick, the last operation being
to cut away the supcrfuous cloth, and
hence the name. Theu, again, the pat.
tern was often made without any linen.
Threads radiatiug at equal distances to
one centre served as framework to
others, which were united to them iu
separate triangles, roscttcs worked over
with heavy bottouhole stitch, aud this
made in some parts heavy, compact
embroidery, while the rest was an open
work Of threads. Greek lace is Of this
style of manufacture SO also is some Of
the Venice lace that is remarkable for
fineness aud beauty.
The idcis of the sikteenth century is
quite distinct from this early style of
cutwork," though made in somewhat
similar manner. Upon network Of
square mcshes the pattera was some.
times worked by being cut out in linen
applique, but more usually it was form
ed by darning 10 couoted stitches Of the
mesh. This plain network ground was
called "resedu," "resct," "rezeaa," and
was much used for bed furniture. When
this resedu was ornamented with a
darned pattern or applique it became
lacis," aud was devoted chiefly to the
adornment of aAar cloths and other sa.
cred draperies.
When destined for this purpose the
t,eis was occasionally alternated with
plain liuen, aud the patterns consisted
of every conceivable device. Flears de.
Us, sdcrc ceurs, family coronets aud
arms, death 's-heads, crossboucs aud
tears" formed at all times the pattern
design, according to whether the iacis
was eventually to adoru an "altar CLOTH =
"bcd curtain" or "pall."
There was as lately as the year 1859
fine specimen Of cutwork on the pail
that covered the collins oi. the fisher
people OF Dleppe. II is said to have
been worked by some lady who was say.
ed from shipwrcck, aud who gave it to
them as memorial Of her gratitude
This art, as distinct from the manufac
ture of lace, still exists in the north aud
south Of Europe, and the embroidery
that is even now seen ON the smock
frocks Of the laborers of Kent and Sus-
sex, is but remnant of the custom
aud of the style Of work,--Land aud
Wafer.