History of Lace

by Mrs. Bury Palliser

Photo by A. Dryden from Salviati & Co.'s Collection.

Plate XXVI.

South Italian.—The upper one is seventeenth century Church lace—réseau of threads twisted into star-shaped meshes. The three lower are considered eighteenth century Cretan. All pillow made of thread and silk. Widths: 2, 2½, 1¾, 3¾ in.

Victoria and Albert Museum.

To face page 84.

The conventionally termed Greek lace is really the Italian reticella. "The designs of the earliest Greek laces were all geometrical, the oldest being simple outlines worked over ends or threads left after others had been drawn or cut. Next in date come the patterns which had the outlines further ornamented with half circles, triangles, or wheels. Later, open-work with thick stitches was produced."

Fig. 40.

Reticella, or Greek Lace.—(Zante.)