Border, Valenciennes bobbin lace, 1730s, very long

Exceptionally long piece of bobbin lace, with gently scalloped edge; dense pattern of flowers and leaves between curved and straight-sided cartouches with diaper fillings. Some small holes and stains, and at least one fine darn. Cut and hemmed at each end.
length of pattern repeat 15 cm approximately.

Given from the Everts-Comnene-Logan Collection

RF number is 2008/311.

Donated by Lady Logan from the collection of her parents, Robert and Alexandra Everts. Robert Everts (b. Brussels 12 Sept. 1875; d. Brussels 30 April 1942) was born in Brussels the son of the Dutch Consul who adopted Belgian nationality c.1898 and entered the Belgian Diplomatic Service, serving in Paris (1900-09), Mexico (1901-02) and Bucharest (1902-06). He married Alexandra (b. Corfu 4 Feb. 1880; d. Brussels 1961) whose mother was Angelia née Calvocoressi and who chose the family name Comnene, in Brussels in 1913. Alexandra accompanied her husband in his foreign postings to Peking between 1910-16 and again in 1920-24, Berlin 1924-31 and Madrid 1932-29 after which the couple resided in Brussels. Together they formed collections of Mexican armour, Mexican textiles, Puebla ceramics, Spanish colonial glass; Chinese textiles, Chinese and Japanese lacquer, Chinese furniture, ceramics and metalwork; and they preserved inherited period lace.

Parts of these collections have been acquired by museums internationally:
The British Museum: Mexican textiles and beadwork (1994 AM3.1, AM7.1-20; 1996 AM10 1-18; 1997 AM4.1)
Mexico City, Franz Mayer Museum: Mexican rebosos and textiles (1994 AD-004, AD-020;DRA-0009, DRA-0025; AD-021, AD-030; DCH-0001, DCH-0010; AD-031, AD-038; DFB-007, DFB-0014); Ecclesiastical embroidered panels, XVI century (2002 09157-01966; DCN-0013, FCF-0011-15; FPA-0013-16)

Alexandra Comnene-Everts was herself a proficient artist and designer. Albums of her drawings of ornament on Chinese monuments (c. 1919-25) have been acquired by the British Library (1998 N Or.15493/1-6) and the bridal tiara she commissioned from Cartier in Paris is on loan to the Victoria & Albert Museum.

The acquisitions from this collection in the Victoria & Albert Museum are:
Asian, set of 8 kessus (silk tapestry), late Ming period (T.269-G-1971); feather fan, carved jewelled handle, Chinese, c. 1910 (FE-2008)

Fashion, 20th century dress (T.12-2003 – T.17-2003); Textiles, English, French, Belgian and Flemish lace (T.5 to T.10-2003; T.62 to T.65-2008)

Ref: Claire Brisby, ‘Angelia Calvocoressi 1840-1929: A Cosmopolitan Life’, Journal of the Hellenic Diaspora, 30.2 (2004), 97-130.

At the beginning of the 18th century, accessories made of finely woven muslin were often the choice of fashionable men and women, although elaborately patterned lace was worn on the most formal occasions. By the 1720s, fashion moved on again. Lace was once more worn by all those who could afford it, but a new style of bobbin lace developed, of great delicacy and refinement, incorporating the soft draping qualities of muslin. It was made particularly in the region around Valenciennes, which although French territory, had a tradition of lace making in the Flemish style, using exceptionally fine thread.

Because of the fineness of its thread, and the density of its patterns, Valenciennes lace was very slow to make. It was made in a single strip (rather than several sections which could be made by different workers and joined up). This border is of exceptional unbroken length (more than 5 metres). Such fine lace has always been highly valued, since the 19th century in the collectors’ market as well as for fashionable wear, and almost all surviving pieces have been cut into fairly short lengths. It would however have been originally made in such long continuous strips, Queen Caroline needing nine yards, for example, for a cap in 1733. That is the approximate date of this piece, which may represent a year’s work for one lace maker.

T.64-2008