The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-06-09
vALvoGNIAN LACE.
Specimens of Italian Work Sent to St.
 Louis Exposition.

Louis Exposition.
 The Italian minister of commerce, in- dustry and agriculture has just sent, at the cost and risk of the state. twenty three specimens of valvognian lace, cut work, etc, to the St. Louis exposi- tion. This lace is made at Valle Vogna by the peasant women. and the indus try is one in which the two queens of Italy. Margherita and Elena, take a great and active interest. Queen Mar gherfta bought a considerable part of the first valgognian exhibit, which was sent to the 'Women's Industries" and not long ago she bought two table cloths and some doylies. ordering at the same time a bedspread in cut work. lOueen Elena recently bought some Val yognian lace at the "Women's Arts and Crafts" in Rome.
 Much of the lace made at Valle Vog- |na is copied from ancient models. Cut lwork comes from the Arabs. and most iof the ancient specimens handed down to the present day were brought from Sicily. This is because four hundred Iyears ago there were in this island plenty of captive Moors, who were set lat work to beautify the homes of their captors Their work if in good preser- ivation, brings thousands of francs to- day, and there is a great demand for it. The reproduction also commands high price, and to make them is work or time. patience and skill. Queen Mar gherita's curtains will occupy clever fingers in tiaa Valle vogna for some months to come, and the pair of cur tains sent to the St. Louis exposition represent an equal amount of work. Cut work is called by some authori- ties Greek lace" It is made by cut lting spaces in linen (forn1ing thus many different patterns) and sewing the sides of the spaces to prevent their fraying. In the old work these edges seem to have been sewn generally with brown. lCut work is sometimes varied by an ad- mixture of drawn thread work (punta Itirata), and also by embroidery in lcoarse white thread.
 The design shown in illustration No. IT was probably an adaptati Il by Euro lpean workers of Arab lace, for the rep Presentation of lions deer horses men land women is contrary to Moslem law. iThis pattern also has been successfully lcopied in the Valle Vogna-a brown flax thread defining the cut edges while the work is fringed, as ill the v, which a few inches of blue alternate with few inches of brown.
 The creamy homespun linen of the valley closely resembles the ancient linen of the model pieces, and is made by the lacemakers who are also the ag- ricluturists of this high Alpine region.
 They SOW the hemp tent it; gather lit, stalk by stalk, as it comes to perfec- tion; soak it; beat it; spin and weave lit So said one of the girls, adding; l''We may well be fond of our clothing, for we have so much to wo with it! lAnd, at the last" drawing herself up lproudly, i've trim it with our own pun cetto!"
 Some of the linen the Valvognians send to be dyed blue for the aprons of their traditional costume. Otherwise ltheir clothing is made and decorated lentirely at home. The weave of this linen is so close that wayfaring conta- ldine fold an apron corner into cup land drink from it at any mountain Istream. There is no drip from this lcup, and the fabric Is as desirable assit lis firm in texture It is almost ever
 lasting, and the lace that it is trimmed |with. i've make for eternity" the wo- linen say.
 Illustration Mo- shows cut work and drawn thread doylies. No. 3 shows a sampler of cut work and drawn thread, inclosed in a border of puncettc l(Alpine point lace) and crossed by two Hines of puncettos The other square 1T lornamented with small puncello inser- tions, with a narrow edging of the Isame lace. Puncetto is the local dia- llect name for the lace. Near Bergamo where the art of this peculiar lace is
 dying out, the same stitch is called
 punto ovorio, or Ivory lace,' the
 closer patterns bearing a strong resen-
 blance to minute ivory carving. Else.
 where the lace has been known as
 "Greek point and "Saracens' point
 lace.'
 All these old embroideries and faces
 occupied the great danes of hygont
 days, when the general insecurity o1
 life and property kept the chatelaint
 and her maidens close prisoners in theii
 strong castles. Nowadays it is the gen tie shepherdesses of the Alps, who
 when they are, as they say themselves
 "besieged'' by the long snows of winter
 take pleasure in this ancient art work thereby relieving the terrible poverty
 which existed among them before the lindustrv was started