The lace industry of France is of national importance. It employs a large proportion of the population, and a great amount of capital. It is essentially a domestic industry ; all the females employed work in their own homes, under the immediate supervision of their elders, who are their chief instructors.
Next to France, Belgium possesses the greatest repute for band-made lace. The chief centres of its lace industry are Brussels, Antwerp, Malines, Ypres, Bruges, Ghent, Menin, Courtrai, and Alost, with their surrounding villages. In these districts, a population of probably over 100,000 persons is employed in the fabrication of lace.
Brussels lace is of the highest quality, and consists of two kinds, point and pillow, the former being made entirely by the needle, and the latter on the pillow. The finest descriptions, which realize the highest prices, are made of fine flaxen thread. In others of great excellence, cotton yarns are used. In former times, these laces were only made upon " real " ground, but after the manufacture of net by machinery had been perfected in England, this was to a large extent substi tuted, and has had the effect of greatly reducing the cost. The " real " or hand-made ground was wrought on the pillow in narrow strips of 1-3 in. wide, which were then joined so perfectly as to render the line of attachment quite invisible. The best hand-made lace was so costly as to find customers only within the circles of royalty or families of the greatest wealth. Trimming laces 3-4 in. wide ranged in price from four to ten guineas a yd., whilst veils of the same qualities sold for 20-150 guineas. The introduction of the machine-made ground, however, so reduced these prices as to greatly enlarge the circle of consumers, and since that time they have been in extensive use by persons in the higher and wealthier circles of society. This change greatly stimulated the Belgian industry.
This modified or combined hand- and machine-made lace is known as the "application of Brussels," and, in its perfect resemblance to the real article, is calculated to deceive the most skilful and expert judges. The flowers or designs are made by hand, and then sewed upon the net.
Brussels "plait-net" is extensively worn upon the Continent, but "point" has generally been in more favour in England.
The fabrication of Brussels lace is divided amongst a considerable numbers of workers, one class making the flowers in plait, another those in point, a third " real " ground, a fourth the ground in the flowers ; a fifth fasten or combine the different parts, whilst a sixth attach the foregoing to the net ground. In some particular descriptions, there are two or three additional classes of workers. The quality of Brussels lace is only surpassed by the point d'Alencon made in the north of France.
The descriptions of lace known as Mechlin are made at lifelines and Antwerp, and their vicinities. These laces are made on the pillow in one piece, and are of remarkably light and fine texture. They are peculiar in having a plait thread surrounding the designs and flowers, and forming their outline, which give them the appearance of embroidery.
Valenciennes constitute another variety, which rank amongst the most highly esteemed laces made in Belgium. These are chiefly produced in Ypres, Menlo, Courtrai, Bruges, Alost, Ghent, and the villages surrounding these towns. This lace is also a pillow-lace, yet the production of each town displays such peculiarities that they can be easily distinguished by experts. The first-named town began the manufacture in or about 1656, hut for a long time, it did not make much progress. Since the commencement of the present century, it has extended greatly, and, a few years ago, was estimated to employ in the town and environs fully 20,000 persons. The produc tions are exported to England, France, Germany, and the United States. Ghent makes very bigh class articles, chiefly in narrow and medium widths, and employs 10,000-15,000 workpeople. The laces of Bruges are of a medium quality, and lower in price than those of Ghent; but they are of an eminently useful character, being especially adapted for trimmings. Alost makes some good laces of similar designs, bnt not equal in quality to those of Ypres. Grammont lazes are white thread, and black point trimming laces of good quality.