The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-03
A HUNTING SCENE IN LACE.
The Exhibition at Vienna-Archduch
ess Maria Theresa's Collection.
(London Telegraph.l


Vienna--A magnificent collection OF
lace is now being exhibited at the Aus
trian museum in Vienna. AS very early
specimens are shown, the progress made
in the manufacture of this delicate
fabric can easily be traced. Some OF
the cases contain real art treasures,
made all the more valuable by theil
great age. An exquisite collection OF
point coupe, the precursor of Venetian
and Genoese point lace takes an in:
portant place, the finest specimen IN
this genre consisting of jacket entirely
OF point coupe, with open network
foundation, perfect in design and exc
cution. A magnificent piece OF Venetian
point has a wonderful hand-embroi-
dered hunting scene, the hares and
hounds of extraordinary finenesS and
beauty. A valuable specimen of Ge-
noese point, about three yards in width
is designed with three scenes from the
Garden of Paradise, all extremely ma
tural and graceful. Near this exquisite
exhibit specimens of the beautiful point
de France are shown.
This class of lace is Il refinement upon
the famous Venetian rose lace: with it
are several samples of that most deli
cate of all the rocco webs-the point
d'Argentan. The Flemish laces are
abundantly represented, with all the su-
perior delicacy of make, increased
fineness of thread and Improvement in
design which enabled them VIGOROUSLY
to drive the Italian lace into the back
ground. The very mention of Brussels
lace carries the mind back to the end
of the seventeenth century, when feuni
nine enthusiasm was reused by this
fairy-like production, so renowned for
its artistic execution and it's elegance of
n
of Brussels point, Mechlin and Malines
lace. a piece of Brussels point, about
three-quarters OF a. yard wide, in Louis
XIV style, is embroidered with musical
Instruments. This and priests sur
plice, dating from the seventeenth cen
tury, and in a wonderful state of pre-
servation, are almost priceless. The
Archduehess Maria Theresa, widow of
the late Archduke Karl Ludwig of Aus
tria, has lent her splendid private col
lection for exhibition. 1t includes the
lace bequeathed by the Empress Caro-
line Augusta, consort of the Emperor
Francis I, as we'll as the lace formerly
belonging to the Archduchess Sophie,
mother eff the present emperor In this
collection are also very wide specimens
of application d'Angleterre, Brussels
point and Chantilly flounces in various
widths Pillow laceS of every make,
with the Irish lace so much admired on
the continent, fill other cases in the
museum. The wondefur fineness and
finish of many of these superb speci-
mems rouses general admiration in a
city where the ornamental is SO much
cultivated. 1t is perhaps, the most per-
feet exhibition of the kind ever seen in
Vienna, and attracts crowds of admir-
ers, but there is no doubt that the Won
derful limitations produced for moderate
prices by machinery in the present day
have weakened the enthusiasm for real
lace, as well as the sense of it's value,
as shown in former centuries. The time
is over for bride to bring in her trous-
seau, like the daughter of Louis XIV,
lace worth $4,000 livres.