Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1883-08-16
THE HISTORY OF LACE.
Its early Use by ISoth Men ana Women
H AN AdOrnmcnt-.-SOme Historical
Specimens.


Its early Use ny Both Men ana women
as AN hdOrnmcnt-.-SOme Historical
Specimens.
EccUrl,
In the use of lace rs an adornment
women have been more faithful to their
early tastes than men, for up to the be-
ginning CT the present century, it was
us much worn by men as women.
Henry Ill. covered himself with fine
lace in gold, and the Valois used it pro-
fusely. Bossompicrc, Cinq Mars, and
other leaders Of fashion at the court Of
Henry Ill. brought the cxtravagant
use OF lace to 4 climax. When gentle
men wore it MS Il decoration they
adorned their gloves, falling collars,
ruilS, and dresses with it in abundance.
Some indeed wore II roScttc of it on
their CATERS, bow OF it on their high
top boots, and it was converted into
fancy buckles for low shoes 1t has
from early date been used on the cover
ing OF chalicc altar-clOthS, and decor
atcd the priests ain and the prclatc's S
rochct. Mrs. Bury PalliScr speaks of
the higl esteem in which the church
held lace, and Of celebrated painters
furnishing designs for biblical pictures
in which We sec the mother, in antici-
patton ofthc return OF the prOdigal son,
for him u tippet TRAINED
with the richest point; the foolish vir-
gins weeping with handkcrchiefs bor-
dcrcd with 1t; the tablc-clOlh of Dives,
as well as the tablc-napkin used by his
guest, ornamentcd in the same man
ncr.
LacCs made for womau's use were
formerly designated for each change
Of the season, for different hours of the
lay, and adapted TO all ages. Under
Louis XIV. point NAlcncon and point
UArgcnian, etiquette styled "wintcr
laccS, y and even now ladies have little
diSCernmcnt who cannot distinguish
appropriate laccS for morning or even
ing wear. YalcncicnucS, with its clear
ground work, is particularly adapted
To handsome morning toilets. Marrow
edgings are for linen Suitings, and
torchon for those seaside costumes that
in elegant material ape the blue garb of
the French peasant. Lace, properly
considered, indicates by its transparent
thick or smooth points, or those in re-
lief, the difference between the frivOl-
Gus and scdate, and suggests the appro.
priatcncss of such as should decorate
promenade dresses, visiting costumes,
or regatta or race toilets.
Great antiquity is claimed by many
for the origin of lace. Yet an incon-
sistency is apparent, for if these eastern
nations had manufactured lace for
several centuries before il was known
in Europe, why did they so strictly keep
the secret? Then again, those people
since the commencement Of their his
tory have carefully preserved their
methods Of dress, habits, and indus
trial arts The first lace, which the
earliest engraved patterns display was
gUipurc, and came to us from Venice.
There is but little reason for doubling
that the origin of lace is purely Italian.
The Vcnctians used ornaments in high
relief ON their guipurcs, and so adroit-
Iy did they study the effect Of light and
shade that shadows changed from
dark To- light at each movement of the
wcarcr.
In Queen Charottc's tine the Eng.
llsh had Il piece Of lace manufactured
in point d AuglctCirc, and presented il
TO her, which had for design the de.
struction of the inyinciDlo Armada by
ElHahrth'S fleet. 1t shows mcn-Of-wal
bending before the wind, dolphins
nearly ~ large rs the ships, forts,
groups Of weapons, and flags repro.
dWccd with Great fidelity. The point
GAlcncon, made with Il needle, i,
acknowledged by all connoiSScms to
be the richest and most beautiful of all
laccs. Elegant and fine, made entirely
of linen thread, it hasraiscd figures foI
ornaments.
Long after handmade laccs had en-.
joyed life Of popularity, mechanism
invaded the domain of laco.making
Tulle was the first lace SO made. Many
unsuccessful efforts were made. which
finally eliminated, toward tho end Ot
the last century, in the bObbin loom.
From hisinvcnlion immense machines
moved by steam, weave upward Oi
sixteen thousand mGshcS per minute
while Il lacc-makcr, on an average, can
produce but five or six mcshcs in tho
same time. Those wearing expensive
handmade lace can scarcely realize
the labor employed in its manufacture
In travelling through Flanders, Norway
or Auvergnc, one often isecs II grOunC
floor filed with young girls, bending
over their cushions, welding innumer
able bObbins around innumCrablc pins
twisting, crossing, intorlacing them
without single mistake; in Il word
making nearly l52, 900 cvolutions for :
design of ten inches, amounting tt
twcnty-sevGn movements in minute
Bossompiero says that the baptism o
the royal children of France in 1906
when extravaganza ran riot, cost hin
1000 crowns. The lace, which wa.
manufactured for the occasion, was o
exquisite texture, and had sown on ]
fifty pounds weight of pearl. Gabriel,
D'EstreeS in 1894 ordered lace hand
herchief made tor her, the price beins
$50 crowns. Mary, of Medicis, mad,
the Mcdicis supplant the French rut
after her arrival ut the French capital
1t was composed of lovely lace, and OF
account of its abrupt rise of twely'
inches at the back of the neck had Il
BE- supported on wire.