Deep flounce of appliqué lace, Brussels, ca.1860

Deep flounce of high quality lace with complex pattern of floral and plant forms including pineapples.

Given from the Everts-Comnene-Logan Collection

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.


The donor comments :"My grandmother (my mother's mother) bought lots of lace in Naples around 1890-1910 and a lot of them were known in the family by the name of their former owner. This flounce had belonged to the Duchess of Sevignano".

This Brussels lace flounce combines machine-made net and handmade lace. It came to the V&A with matching narrow flounces.

The market for all qualities of lace grew in the mid 19th century. Handmade lace was a status symbol that demonstrated wealth and position. In the 1850s and 1860s people began to spend large quantities of money on luxury lace as they had done in the 18th century.

Silk lace and embroidered nets were popular in the early 19th century. By the 1840s delicate but richly patterned Brussels lace was back in fashion. Manufacturers made great efforts to improve and expand the industry to meet demand. Lace schools opened, and producers commissioned new designs from Paris. By the mid 1840s, Brussels was again the leading centre for fashion lace. Manufacturers continued to use handmade net until the 1850s. However, machine net applied with part-lace motifs became increasingly common. You can see this combination on this flounce, which is nevertheless of very high quality.

T.5-2003