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Prayer shawl ornaments

Prayer shawl ornaments

  • Place of origin:

    Venice, Italy (made)

  • Date:

    1670-1699 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Needle lace

  • Credit Line:

    Bequeathed by Harriet Bolckow

  • Museum number:

    791 to D-1890

  • Gallery location:

    In store

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These squares and borders of needle lace are decorations for a tallith. This is a type of prayer shawl worn by Jewish men. This type of needle lace, made in Venice, was fashionable throughout Europe. It was usually worked in linen thread. Here the lacemaker has used glossy cream silk to create a rich effect.

Physical description

Silk needle lace with a design of large blossoms and leaves with fruit used to decorate a tallit [prayer shawl].

Place of Origin

Venice, Italy (made)

Date

1670-1699 (made)

Artist/maker

unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Needle lace

Dimensions

Height: 8.75 in 791-1890, Width: 8.75 in 791-1890, Height: 8.75 in 791A-1890, Width: 8.75 in 791A-1890, Height: 8.75 in 791B-1890, Width: 8.75 in 791B-1890, Length: 81 in 791C-1890, Width: 5 in 791C-1890, Length: 170 in 791D-1890, Width: 2 in 791D-1890
[Border] Length: 1432 cm, Width: 5 cm
[Border] Length: 120.6 cm, Width: 13 cm
[Square] Length: 22.5 cm, Width: 22.5 cm
[Square] Length: 22.5 cm, Width: 22.5 cm
[Square] Length: 23 cm at maximum point, Width: 22.5 cm

Object history note

Exhibited at the International Exhibition, 1874.

Descriptive line

Ornaments for application to a prayer shawl, silk needle lace, Venetian, late 17th century

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Jewish Ritual Art in the Victoria and Albert Museum by Michael Keen [London, HMSO, 1991 p. 30]
Hershel Shanks, "The World's Oldest Tallit ? ", an occasional paper of the American Jewish Historical Society, Washington DC, Biblical Archaeology Society, 2008.
Cites V&A lace as part or argument on the dating of a tallit in the American Jewish Historical Society, with other comparative examples.

Materials

Silk

Techniques

Lace making

Categories

Textiles; Ecclesiastical textiles; Lace; Judaism

Collection code

T&D

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Qr_O63950
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