Spain.—In Spanish lace, network and drawn-work combine in their patterns in many instances the double eagle or the lions of Castile, alternating with turreted castles set in a field peopled with archaic figures and stylistic birds. These latter motives also occur in similar work throughout the Mediterranean area, Sicily, Aegean islands, Sardinia and in some Moroccan embroideries. In Spanish drawn-work, however, the method employed in over working the field—where counted warp and weft threads of the linen have been drawn out, leaving an open-work mesh—differs from the Italian in which the remaining threads of the linen are covered with a winding stitch while the Spanish process loops the thread through the four sides of the mesh.
What may be termed typical Spanish network is the punto de Cataluna with its characteristic sun or "sol" pattern. Spanish copies of the Italian reticello have a much less compact technique and here again the geometric motives reflect the "sol" motive of the punto de Cataluna rather than the star and wheel patterns of the Italian models. Needlepoint corresponding to the punto in aria type on the other hand is much more closely worked ; the vase form when it appears is more bulbous, while the leaves and flowers are inclined to be round and flat, edged with tightly worked picots. The most beautiful Spanish needlepoint of the i6th cen tury is the punto de Espana frisado en oro. This has a foundation of gold thread that forms a series of small picots outlining the motives while in the body of the pattern the gold thread is over worked with polychrome silk in a weaving stitch. The punto de Espana of the late i6th and early 17th centuries, corresponding to contemporary punto in aria of the Italian workers, is also quite individual in character. The patterns, which show little variation, adhere closely to a gracefully curved leaf form which at times alternates with a diagonally set branch motive.
Spanish portraits of the s 7th century record an extravagant use of pointed bobbin lace in the enormous neck-ruffs of the period, a type similar to the Italian but which is claimed to have been a native product. While the church treasuries of Spain are rich in Flemish laces, there are among these occasional variants of the "point de Milan" which are undoubtedly Spanish ; in these the patterns are less carefully drawn and the scroll motives that terminate in pomegranate or disc-like flowers are as a rule set in a field of square, open mesh. Another form of bobbin lace from the district of Seville is of coarse thread rather loosely worked; this has a large quadrangular mesh with a pattern of archaic tree motives. To many, however, Spanish lace means the black and white silk blonde lace used for mantillas; quantities of these laces were produced at Catalonia, but those made in France at Chan tilly, Bayeux and Caen were of much finer quality. Machine copies of these laces in which the pattern has a needle-run outline are often sold as hand-made fabrics.
France.—There were already many centres of lace-making in France when, under the royal patronage of Louis XIV., Venetian and Flemish lace-workers were imported to stimulate the industry. In the little museum of Alencon may be seen a few bits of needle work and reticello said to have been made by the women of the court of Marguerite de Valois. It was Catherine de Medici, the Italian queen of Henry II., however, whose interest in needlework may be said to have laid the foundations of the lace industry in France, and it was during her sojourn at the French court as wife of Francis II., that Mary Stuart became an adept in the art of the needle. The work of this period comprised embroidered filet (reseuil), shown in the Bronzino portrait of Eleanor of Toledo (Pl. I. fig. 2) ; simple outwork such as is found in the portrait of
Henry II. and in that of his daughter Claudia, and drawn-work like the cap of Holbein's portrait of Anne of Cleves (154o). It was during the reign of Henry III. (1574-89) that Venetian and Genoese laces became so impor tant an accessory of male attire that enormous sums of French money poured into Italy while native industries languished. This continued during the extravagant reign of Louis XIII. ; but with the advent of Colbert, the great minister of finance under Louis XIV., a new regime was effected and in 1665 the manufacture of point de France was established at Alencon, Argentan, Sedan, Rheims and other centres. Many of the lace-makers of Alencon already knew the technique of the point de Venice, a number having been trained by Mme. de La Perriere, who had discovered the process in 1661. Alencon lace of the early period had a large hexagonal, buttonholed, mesh like the point de France but without picots; later the fine hexagonal mesh became the accepted Alen con type, while the Argentan workers adopted the hexagonal mesh of twisted thread, the bride tortillee instead of the buttonholed mesh, the bride bouclee. It is difficult to say just when the laces of Alencon and Argentan ceased to be termed points de France, but according to Mrs. Pal liser an inventory of 1723 is the last to mention point de France, while point d' Argentan appears in 1738 and point d'Alencon in 1741. Skilled workers from Venice were imported to perfect the technique of the native lace-maker in reproducing Venetian points, while others were brought over the border from Flanders to teach bobbin lace-making in order to enable the native indus tries to meet the demand of the court for point d'Angleterre which, though a fabric, came to be known as point de France facon d'Angleterre. At the time of the reorganization of the indus try there were a number of Flemish pillow-lace makers working at Rheims. The first needlepoint laces produced under royal patron age were close copies of the heavy Venetian point which, when made in France, was termed point Colbert. In time, however, the French evolved a distinct type by increasing the number of brides until they became a large hexagonal mesh, which served as a field or background to the exquisite patterns designed by Le Brun, Berain, Bailly and other skilled draughtsmen working under court patronage. Beautiful works of the great period may be seen in the collections of the Musee des arts decoratifs, Paris, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The history of lace as it developed in France during the 17th and 18th centuries is recorded in the engravings of Abra ham Bosse and Le Paultre and the portraits of van Loo, Hya cinthe Rigaud, Nattier, Le Brun and other court painters. In the Department du Nord, where several important Flemish lace cen tres were transferred to France at the time of the Peace of Nim wegen, the lace produced under French surveillance took on all the charm and elegance peculiar to points de France. The ex travagant uses to which priceless points de France were applied during the reigns of Louis XIV. and XV. included not only laces for the steinkerque (a long cravat worn alike by men and women), frills, cap crown and lappets for the towering fontange head-dress engageantes for the Louis XV. sleeve ruffles, and elab orate lace aprons; but these rich fabrics were also used in adorn ing the boudoir, the dressing-table, the bed and the bath.