Large Embroidered Hanging. French, Early XVIII Century
Subject, Spring: from a set representing the Four Seasons, in memory of Mrs. Thomas Lowry by Mrs. Gustav Schwyzer, Mrs. Percy Hagerman and Horace Lowry
Needlepoint, Reticello. Italian, Early XVII Century
The piece of reticello lace, illustrated above, is an unusually fine example of early Italian needlepoint. Reticello was the first needlepoint, and from it all the later ones were derived. Long points, such as we see here, were much used on collars and cuffs in the XVII century. Of other Italian laces in the collection may be noted a large panel of Milanese bobbin lace of the late XVII or early XVIII century, a fine piece of beautiful Venetian rosepoint of the XVIII century, and examples of Burano and grounded Venetian lace of the same period. French laces of the XVIII century are represented by characteristic examples of Point d'Alencon and Point d'Argentan needlepoint and of old Valenciennes bobbin lace. Flemish laces may be studied in typical examples of Mechlin, Point d'Angleterre, Application, etc. These exquisite fabrics of France and Flanders have never been surpassed in beauty of design and skilful workmanship. The delicate meshes seem at times almost miraculous—as if they owed their origin to Jack Frost rather than to human hands. To show the fineness of the thread used in making the characteristic hexagonal mesh of Point d'Argentan, it may be stated that on an average one side of the hexagon measures only 1-16 of an inch. On each of these sides there are usually 10 stitches. This makes 160 stitches to the inch—which means more, perhaps, when we realize that in the finest machine sewing there are usually 32 stitches to the inch. The collection also includes XIX century and modern examples of Belgian, English and American lace.
Lace, Needlepoint, Point d'Argentan, French, XVIII Century
Lace, Needlepoint, Point d'Alencon, French, XVIII Century
Lace, Needlepoint, Rosepoint, Venetian, Early XVIII Century
Bobbin Lace, Point d'Angleterre, Flemish, XVIII Century
Chair, Pearwood Venetian. Early XVIII Century
The hectic magnificence of life in XVIII century Venice finds its reflection, naturally enough, in the decorative arts of the time. Furniture less ornate than the lavishly carved chair illustrated on this page would have seemed out of place in the great gilded salons where human peacocks strutted in the bravery of brocade and rustling silk. As a general rule, Italian furniture of the Rococo Age is easily recognized by its prodigal indulgence in the spices, so to speak, of furniture designing. Rarely is a piece of Italian furniture of the elaborate character of this pearwood chair so successful in combining an almost excessive richness of carving with a fine feeling for proportions and harmonious ensemble. Indeed, it is not impossible that the chair is the work of a cabinet maker who may have come from France to Venice in the suite of some great nobleman.