Antwerp lace is a

bobbin lace Bobbin lace is a lace textile made by braiding and twisting lengths of thread, which are wound on bobbins to manage them. As the work progresses, the weaving is held in place with pins set in a lace pillow, the placement of the pins usually det ...

distinguished by stylized flower pot motifs on a six point star ground. It originated in Antwerp, where in the 17th century an estimated 50% of the population of Antwerp was involved in lace making. Antwerp lace is also known, from its familiar repeated motif, as Pot Lace— in Dutch Pottenkant or Potten Kant. It is sometimes said that the flowers were a depiction of the Annunciation lilies; however, the flowers were not limited to lilies. It is a continuous lace, meaning that it was made in one piece on a

lace pillow Bobbin lace is a lace textile made by braiding and twisting lengths of thread, which are wound on bobbins to manage them. As the work progresses, the weaving is held in place with pins set in a lace pillow, the placement of the pins usually det ...

, using the same threads in the pattern as in the ground, or ''réseau''. Antwerp lace is very similar to Mechlin lace, which was also made in Antwerp. Antwerp lace is heavier and sturdier than Mechlin lace. It has a ''cordonnet'', or a flat thread outlining the pattern, just as Mechlin lace does. The ''cordonnet'' was very strong and rather coarse. Antwerp lace was also similar to

Binche lace Binche lace is a type of bobbin lace that originated in the town of Binche, Belgium. It is continuous, meaning it is made all at once, in one piece. It is generally made in strips 2 inches (5 cm) wide. Though typically it has no cordonnet o ...

in its ''cordonnet''. The ''réseau'' or ground for Antwerp lace varies from the same hexagonal ground as Mechlin lace to a

tessellation A tessellation or tiling is the covering of a surface, often a plane, using one or more geometric shapes, called ''tiles'', with no overlaps and no gaps. In mathematics, tessellation can be generalized to higher dimensions and a variety of ge ...

-pattern featuring a six-pointed star.

History

Antwerp lace was being made during the 16th century. When the Dutch closed the river

Scheldt The Scheldt (french: Escaut ; nl, Schelde ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to ...

to shipping in 1585 due to Antwerp falling under Spanish control, the production of Antwerp lace halted. By 1698 Antwerp lace was known in England. It first became popular as an export to the Spanish Indies, however when that market died the lace survived in traditional dress among the peasants near Antwerp. It was used mainly for trimming their hats throughout the 18th and 19th century.

References

{{lace types Bobbin lace Culture in Antwerp Belgian fashion Textile arts of Belgium