The west Tennessee star. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1888, 1888-06-01
EXQUISITE LACEs.
The Collection Given to the New York Art
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The Collection Given to the New York Art
Museum by Mrs. Aston.
The gift of the late Mrs. John Jacob
Astor's collection of French and Italian
laces to the Metropolitan Museum of
Art puts our only public art gallery in
possession of the finest and oldest spec
linens of art needlework in the world.
1t was long Mrs. Astor's opinion that
American women, with all their taste
and proficiency in matters of dress and
decoration. and their dizziness in fine
needlework, could acquire high repu-
tation as lace makers, and that in this
way a source of employment was open
to many American ladies dependent
upon their own exertions for support.
She recognized clearly the necessity
for popular education in this regard.
and the wide field of usefulness as "a
permanent educational factor which
the Metropolitan Museum of Art en-
joyed. Hence Mrs. Astor's laudable
intention that her own exquisite speci-
mems of needle-wOrk should find last
resting place in its galleries, to inter-
est American women in the subject and
excite a spirit of imitation and origi-
nality.
One Point de France fichu cost Mrs.
Astor 81, 800. 1t was made by French
peasants wife in Ardennes between
1856 and 1870, and at one time be-
longed to Empress Josephine. Sim
ilarly most of the lace in the collection
belonged at one time or another to
famous ladies of royal or aristocratic
families, for their high cost precluded
any but the very richest people from
possessing them. The Point Coupe is
the oldest piece in the collection, hav-
ing been made by the cunning hand of
a French woman in 1550-it cost over
81, 800-and another piece of similar
make, which dates from 1880 or 1000,
cost nearly as much. Another old
piece is Guipure de Belgique. which
| cost 81, 100. and was made at Brussels
between 1890 and 1920 by Nine. Quimet.
A dress-trimming of Point de Venise,
which cost S3, 200, is one of the largest
pieces in the collection, and was made
in the half-century between 1850 and
100. The Empress Eugene, who was
| at one time u great lace lover, is said
to have been negotiating for its pur-
| chase when it came into Mrs. Aston s
collection. Another very old piece of
lace which the collection contains is
| Point Cerepe which was made in 1880.
One of the most precious specimens
of Valenciennes in existence is a bit in
the collection dating from 1870, and
which the late Mrs. Astor fire.
| quently wore. Another favorite with
her was a Guipure d'Angleterre,
made between 1870 and 100. one
of the few specimens representing this
school in existence, and perhaps the
only one in America 1t cost, it is said,
81, 300. The high cost of these laces
even forty years ago, when they were
relatively cheaper than at present, is
explained partly by the few people who
! knew the secret of their manufacture
in those old times and the great time
and labor involved in their production,
and partly by their rarity, only small
number of undoubted antiquity having
survived intact. Others, too, were
more highly priced because of their
associations and former possession by
historic persOnages- 1t is not too much
to say that many of these laces have
witnessed some of the great court
pageants of Europe.
A Guipure de Malines made in the
latter part of the seventeenth century,
one of the valuable specimens in the
collection, and Point de France OF
somewhat earlier date are said to have
belonged to two Orleans Princesses
long since gathered to their fathers
There are likewise two beautiful pieces
of Point de Brabant made between
1850 and 1900, and which cost 81, SOC
apiece, that are associated with the
memories of the ladies of the frs
Napoleonic generation. Two exquisite
specimens of Point de Venise, made
between 1850 and 100, and Point
d'Alencon of 1900 have ecclesiastical
associations, being said to have come
from the estate of one of the Roman
Cardinals. NJ T. World.