Flounce thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Flounce

1880s (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This flounce is in the style of 18th-century French point d'Argentan lace. However, it dates from the 1880s. The Burano Lace School copied it from a high-quality historical piece. The school was established on the island of Burano outside Venice 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 worked in linen
Brief description
Flounce of needle lace worked in linen, made in Burano Lace School, Burano, 1880s
Physical description
Flounce of needle lace in the style of Point d'Argentan. A large square mesh of brides bouclées is used for most of the ground but there also are large areas filled with a square looped mesh and with a variety of fancy filling meshes. The pattern is outlined by a heavy raised cordonnet. The border is divided by curving lines of flowers and ribbons, and by more formal scroll work into a series of irregular cartouches which are filled with, or are decorated by, branching floral plants. The lower edge is scalloped and is decorated with flowerheads and with medallions containing fancy fillings. The upper edge is straight and the pattern was designed to continue across the join into a parallel border.
Dimensions
  • Length: 3390mm
  • Width: 290mm
Summary
This flounce is in the style of 18th-century French point d'Argentan lace. However, it dates from the 1880s. The Burano Lace School copied it from a high-quality historical piece. The school was established on the island of Burano outside Venice 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
T.423-1971

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Record createdNovember 27, 2003
Record URL
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