Convent of Notre Dame de Visitation | Handkerchief | Belgian, Ghent | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Handkerchief, ca, 1865, Belgian, cotton, bobbin lace While most lace handkerchiefs consist of a woven fabric with a wide lace border, this example is made entirely of bobbin lace, a specialty of the Convent of Notre Dame de Visitation in Ghent. In 1852 Sister Marie-Joseph patented a new style of lace, now called Ghent Lace with Varied Ground, making it possible to employ workers of varying skill levels and to assemble large pieces quickly using motifs that could be prepared ahead of time.
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