New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-07
VENETIAN LACE-MAKERS.
TUE ART SAVED THROUGH THE COUN-
TESS MARCELLO.
,ur ISLAND OF BURANo THE HOME or POINT
LACE AND PALEsrR1NA OF THE

LACE AND PALEsrRINA OF THE
BoBBIN VARIETY.
Tho tern. Venetian lace covers multitude OF de-
s,en, and great variety OF stitches. for IN Venice
and It's environs there are women ana chi'o'e' ""o
weave with their deft fingers almost every KIM u
modern lace as well as most of the varieties Known
10 lace-Tnakers Of antiquity.
Not much lace is made in the city or Venice al
though there arc families scattered here ana 'hei"
along tina smaller canals, where lace-making is
carried on more as a pastime than as DuslhesS'
The greater portion OF the lace known as Nehe-
ian" &c ,noaa ON the island of Burano, which may
be reached in an hour by steamer from Venice
WHERE CELEBRATED LACE WAS MADE.
Two hundred years ago this town was an indus
trious and thriving one. where most Of the cee-
brated lace vas made. For centuries there had
been families possessed OF skill and dexterlty IN
lace-naking which could only come through gen.
eratons of practice; families that had monopoly
~ certain patterns which had been designed or
first used by their ancestors, and which by an
unwritten law, had become exclusive property
For a variety of reasons, the art gradually de-
clined until in the early part Of this century II
was wellngh lost and would have been quite so
but for the efforts Of Countess Marcello. member
OF one of tho oldest Venetian families. who. with
other philanthropic persons, became interested III
the women of the island and determined TO help
them 10 help themselves.
cessfuly revived the almost lost art of lace-weav;
ing This not done without much troupie ana
expenditure for at first Il seemed Amos linposSi
bic 10 find any one skilled enough 10 act as
teacher.
AN OLD WORKER FOUND
Al last It was discovered that there was one
woman, over seventy years OF age, who knew
che stitches of the celebrated point Burano but
she was too aged and nhrm to teach. However, 1t
was clearly impossible to let her die without hav-
ing impaired her knowledge 10 some one, so she
was most tenderly nursed and cared for until such
time as a proper pupil could be found. Nine Bel
aro dEste finally put herself und der ,. me od
skill worked with her until she had learned the
y2TGgS stitches sS Ehfm EH to became p in
the Countess school when az hrSt III 81 NUN
dred and fifty women and children at work ana the
scheme which began with philanthropy Is on
The stSooi occupies a large wcll-ventilated build
ing divided into rooms. with ACCOMMODATIONS LOT
when I visited Burano in the sumner, said
New-York lace merchant. when seen Nesl'iCa!,;
The principal room hangs portrait OF + r"ncf+,9
Scarparioa, the old lo"sani woman NlG9 ms ~
well be called the mother of The senOo ana III ttl'
same room is handsome marble buSt 81 tIc
Countess Maroello, who died SNORT t'i,' ,o Is Of
workers as | have ever seen. ThtN wear "hite
aprons and white oyerSIgcITs Iy@iEmTE AND look
Jolly %I,u iI' and statistics show that the mar
last decade.
VARIETIES OF POINT LACE.
al this school are now made eight varieties OF
min, lace in addition TO the point Burano which
vas the first work done. The pupils are given IN
strpc,,on in drawing with the hope OF encouraging
srch a.. may have ability for designing. All de-
tens for uoiri lace first Drawn on pa
name underneath which Is pace" SrNti'I IN, sna, n
nesses of news paper ana c,''s' ,sst, H.,
LA nnder the whole The irst process consists IN
carefIlly stitching the design thIouSh an ILL.,
,Eickreescs II Is done so cafeIullN ,'h"t VIZ
fnisbed il looks like fine machine stltchlHk II -
~, Fastened 10 "A pillow OVeH fOuHdtu pI''' "a
no"j ca shaped AS TO give about three inches fCr
work at time. When TINS length Is '"Hl''''" II
is moved along and covered mp
TIE KINDS OF STITCHES.
..yarious portions Of q design are :;orked by
dinoran, poople and the pieces connected by Il
.roundvnrlx made solid by tn" introd iction oi
snail designs carefully set. In all varieties Of
uoint lace there are but TWO kinds oil suiches
used and these differ little save As they are more
or less closely drawn IT., ,, u e.,
First a series Of threads are lad down an III
ON. Iirectlon 50 as TO cover the pattern, lhcn q
certain number of these according 10 the ~ j.
era taken nm and covered 10y loops OF crO-s-SltcrS
which determine the size of the mesh. When the
niece is finished il is cut from the Design ny Iu!-
ming a sharp knife between II and the paper thiS
loosens the stitches which were hrst put IN ana
leaves mvriads of fine threads hanging on the
nair of twcczers and carefully pulls out ach
thread The finest lace looks so rough ana iaEeen
al this stage that 1t is almost Impossible 20 DecNt
that it is properly made or VIII ever TURN OUT
smooth and fine. 49, ,,o,.. ,ho