. History of lace. e flower from the ground. Itis related of a collar made at Venice for Louis XIII. that thelace-workers, being unsuccessful in finding sufficiently finehorsehair, employed some of their own hair instead, in orderto secure that marvellous delicacy of work which they aimedat producing. The specimen, says Lefebure, cost 250 goldenecus (about sixty pounds). In 1761, a writer, describingthe point de France, says that it does not arrive at the tasteand delicacy of Brussels, its chief defect consisting in thethickness of the cordonnet, which thickens when put intowater. The horsehai
. History of lace. e flower from the ground. Itis related of a collar made at Venice for Louis XIII. that thelace-workers, being unsuccessful in finding sufficiently finehorsehair, employed some of their own hair instead, in orderto secure that marvellous delicacy of work which they aimedat producing. The specimen, says Lefebure, cost 250 goldenecus (about sixty pounds). In 1761, a writer, describingthe point de France, says that it does not arrive at the tasteand delicacy of Brussels, its chief defect consisting in thethickness of the cordonnet, which thickens when put intowater. The horsehair edge also draws up the ground, andmakes the lace rigid and heavy. He likewise finds faultwith the modes or fancy stitches of the Alencon, andstates that much point is sent from there to Brussels to havethe modes added, thereby giving it a borrowed beauty ; butconnoisseurs, he adds, easily detect the difference.^ When the points of Alen9on and Argentan dropped their ^ Dictionnaire du Citoyen, Paris, 1761. Fig. Argentella, or Point [DALENgoN a resbau Louis XV. To face page 194. ALEN^ON 195 general designations of points de France ^ it is difficultto say. An eminent writer states the name was continuedtill the Eevolution, but this is a mistake. The last inventoryin which we have found mention of point de France is oneof 1723/^ while point dArgentan is noted in 1738/^ andpoint dAlen^on in 1741, where it is specified to be a 13 reseau. In the accounts of JMadame du Barry, no point dAlen^onis mentioned—always point a Iaiguille—and needle pointis the name by which point dAlencon ^vas alone known inEngland during the last century. The purchases of needlepoint of Madame du Barry were most extensive. Sleeves(engageantes) and lappets for 8,400 livres ; court ruffles at1,100; a mantelet at 2,400; a veste at 6,500; a grandecoeffe, 1,400 ; a garniture, 6,010, etc.^* In the description of the Department of the Orne drawnup in 1801, it is stated, Fifteen years back t
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectlaceand, bookyear1902
