Artifact: Length of Lace
Materials: Linen Bobbin Lace
Dimensions: 1 3/4 x 25 in. (4.45 x 63.5 cm)
Date: 18th Century
Origin: Mechlin, Belgium
Collection: LACMA
License: Public Domain
Ledger Entry: Fine Lace
Department: Sewing
Customer: Vorlinda Wade
Ledger Page: 125
Imported From:
Product Description
Lace is a decorative type of openwork textile. As a fabric, lace was used for shawls and sheer overdresses. As a trim, lace was used to decorate dresses, sleeves, and handkerchiefs. Like ribbons, fringe, and cording, replacing the lace on a garment was a means of updating fashion without purchasing or making new clothing. Extravagant examples were made of gold, but linen, cotton, and silk were more common.
Citation: Clarke, Michael, and Deborah Clarke. "lace." In The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2010.;
Historical Price: 2 shillings; Modern USD: $22.4
Product Variations
The databases record twenty-one purchases of lace. Where indicated, they were made of cotton or silk. Other qualifiers include black and fine. One gold lace used in lieu of a payment. Their prices range from four pence for lace, to seven shillings nine pence for fine lace. Since the sales of lace in the ledger are not sold by the yard, they were likely sold as trim rather than as fabric.
