Flounce
ca. 1880 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The V&A bought this unfinished piece of needle lace in 1884. It dates from about 1880 but is an exact copy of an 18th-century flounce. The early flounce belonged to Queen Margherita of Savoy. It had formerly belonged to Pope Clement XIII.
The Burano Lace School, on the island of Burano outside Venice, made the V&A piece. The school was set up for charitable reasons and with royal patronage after the severe winter of 1872. The Venetian lagoon froze and the communities dependent on fishing were badly affected. The school revived the skill that had made Venice the major producer of needle lace in the 16th and 17th centuries. It produced lace of every sort, and its lacemakers faithfully copied high-quality historical pieces, like this flounce. By the 1890s the school was also making lace in contemporary style. It continued to produce pieces of style and quality well into the 20th century.
The Burano Lace School, on the island of Burano outside Venice, made the V&A piece. The school was set up for charitable reasons and with royal patronage after the severe winter of 1872. The Venetian lagoon froze and the communities dependent on fishing were badly affected. The school revived the skill that had made Venice the major producer of needle lace in the 16th and 17th centuries. It produced lace of every sort, and its lacemakers faithfully copied high-quality historical pieces, like this flounce. By the 1890s the school was also making lace in contemporary style. It continued to produce pieces of style and quality well into the 20th century.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Needle lace |
| Brief description | Unfinished needle lace flounce, attached to yellow parchment, made by Burano Lace School, Italy, ca. 1880 |
| Physical description | Unfinished flounce, still attached to its linen parchment. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Object history | Purchased at the International Exhibition in Turin in 1884. |
| Summary | The V&A bought this unfinished piece of needle lace in 1884. It dates from about 1880 but is an exact copy of an 18th-century flounce. The early flounce belonged to Queen Margherita of Savoy. It had formerly belonged to Pope Clement XIII. The Burano Lace School, on the island of Burano outside Venice, made the V&A piece. The school was set up for charitable reasons and with royal patronage after the severe winter of 1872. The Venetian lagoon froze and the communities dependent on fishing were badly affected. The school revived the skill that had made Venice the major producer of needle lace in the 16th and 17th centuries. It produced lace of every sort, and its lacemakers faithfully copied high-quality historical pieces, like this flounce. By the 1890s the school was also making lace in contemporary style. It continued to produce pieces of style and quality well into the 20th century. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 110-1884 |
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| Record created | November 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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