Maltese lace silk handkerchief
Maltese lace silk handkerchief
Name/Title
Maltese lace silk handkerchiefEntry/Object ID
2025.1.645Description
Silk handkerchief with wide silk lace border.Context
Although lace-making has been part of the culture of Malta for hundreds of years, it went through a large economic revival in the 19th century following the tuition by Genoese lacemakers into the technical use of bobbin lace. The newly found patterns included some reference to early Genoese lace with its use of the seed or wheat-germ form and also partly on the formal geometric designs of the Reticella. (Reticella is needle lace dating back to the 15th century. The word means little net in Italian). The original reticella was cutwork made onto a woven linen fabric by pulling most of the threads out. The resulting squares were filled with tiny geometric designs. The handkerchief has some of the characteristics described - the seeds or wheat germ and the geometric patterns - circles and lines.Category
Clothing, Domestic, Occupation