The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-28
Dudensng

Of the eighteenth century, and no
daintier laces were produced by the
lacemakers of this period than are
here assembled; the lightness and
gayety of the French spirit combined
with the perfected technique of the
patient F1emings. In one mo. 46) a
shepherd and shepherdess are beneath
tree. with the lambs. which appear
also in the crown, and the faithful
dog; in another (No. Az, of old Mech
lin, gracefully poised bird plucks at
bunch Of grapes while a second bears
in its beak a sprig of leaves; in Nos.
81 and SO dainty love birds are COM
bined with delicate leaf sprays and
tree forms. A pair of lappets (No. SOY
illustrate the Brussels type of needle
point, showing a well designed group
Of standards. On either side are lap
pets of exquisite Venetian rose point
(No. 40. No. So represents the most
delicate of Venetian fabrics. the
grounded Venetian, or point de Venise
reseau, of which few good examples
are available for private collectors In
No. 45 a pair of lappets in point
d'Alencon, the field, instead of being
crowded with palmettes and floral
forms as in the richly designed pair
shown under No. As, is devoid of orna.
ment save for a simple border and a
clear mesh SEINE with small buds and
leaves. This style of pattern was
evolved when the vogue for ruffies de-
manded lighter fabrics than~those en-
ployed during the reign OF Louis XIV.
Combined with the laces in this case
are three tapestry purses (No. So of
microscopic beauty. One of these,
woven in green and silver, bears the
arms Of the French Dauphin, Louis
XIV; another. in black and silver.
shows a ph1nix rising from the flames,
while third has a medallion illus
trating La Fontaine's fable of the fox
and the stork.
The ecclesiastical. pieces in Case X.
are or exceptional interest: a benedic-
ton veil (No. SD of north Italian gui-
pure similar to the Flemish fabrics of
the Musee Cinquantenaire at Brussels:
chalice veil (No. $50, once the prop
erty OF Madame Louise de France
daughter of Louis XIV, and bequeathed
by her to the Carmelite convent of st.
Joseph-Rochefort; q strip of needle
point (No. so with a design of me-
dallions framing figures of the Virgin
and Child; and third chalice veil (No
6O) in which the Virgin and an at
tendant donor form a central medal
lion worked in close needlepoint stitch
similar TO No. SO, which has a tech
nique resembling the Schleswig lace,
but which is considered by some to be
an interesting type of early Burano.
The fiounce of so-called point"
d'Angleterre in Case XI. (No. Gil re-
fleets the silk patterns of the same
period, the central fountain shaded by
symmetrically placed trees combined
with architectural details In the style
OF the ornamentists of the early years
of the reign of Louis XIV, when the
tendency was to break away from the
stif formality that had marked the
closing years of the previous century
The term point" is often misleading
when used in connection with bobbin
laces, l. e., point d'Angleterre, point de
Milan, Regency point &c, the amateur
naturally inferring that the fabric is
made with the needle instead OF on
the pillow. This is particularly con-
fusing In the case of point d'Angle-
terre, which is neither needlepoint lace
nor English, the term having been ap-
piled to Flemish laces smuggled int
England and sold there as a native
product
One OF the most beautiful designs is
that of the point d'Argentan founce
in Case XII. (No. 62). with it's BIOS