Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 24. (Budapest, 2006)

Lilla ERDEI T.: Chantilly-Laces in the Textile Collection of the Museum of Applied Arts

Kovács, with the special help of the Ministry of National Cultural Heritage. The collection of fourteen pieces contains laces used by the Bavarian princess Auguszta, lace fragments, festive clothes and two embroidered handkerchiefs with monograms. Among the special pieces there is an interesting stole, whose central part is presumably the combination of the extremely rare white Chantilly and Lille laces. Observations of the technology During the examination of the technology concerning the museum's laces there were four main points: the kinds and fineness of the raw material; the connection between the mesh and the motifs; the sewing together of the lace ribbons; the forms of the used motifs. Raw material A very thin, strongly twisted black, silk thread was used for making laces. (Fig. 31a) Concerning the laces in the museum, the gimp thread was mainly five times thicker than the normal thread (usually five twisted threads), rarely a thicker thread. (Fig. 3/b) Examining the normal thread of the samples from the laces with the help of microscope", we discovered several tiny differences: for example the silk or mixed threads can be strongly or loosely twisted evenly or not evenly, they can be clean, dirty or manipulated. From the samples, originating from the museum's pieces, the greatest difference can be seen while examining the two most extreme laces. The smooth, silky thread of the fans of Bayeux proves to be the most valuable: the clean silk consists of strongly and evenly twisted fibres, it is not manipulated or contaminated and it lacks starch. The pair of crinoline laces and the bonnet is rough, hard and sporadically white, glue-like patches can be seen on them. Its silk thread is even but loosely twisted. The fibres are surrounded by a grey layer, which presumably is due to the starch. Elaboration During the process of lace-making, two main kinds of technologies can be seen. In one case, the number of the threads is even throughout the process of making the whole lace. In the other case, the patterns are turned to be abundant and more plastic, that is why the elements of the pattern are filled with a new pair, which is either cut or led next to the gimp thread till the new part if it is not needed. There are differences between the size of the stitch in the background of the lace. The laces of smaller stitches are decorated with more meticulous patterns and they are generally made with new pairs. Those with bigger stitches do not provide the possibility for a slower, meticulous, but for a faster, less detailed work. Sewing together The patterns were drawn in the original size and then divided into narrow stripes. The sewing together of the ready stripes was art in itself, as it is done with two threads at the same time; the stitches have to be even and not bigger than the stitches of the mesh. It is difficult to find the places for sewing. Generally stripes of 9-13 centimetres were made. These were put not just horizontally side by side, but diagonally, in round form and complicated shapes, too. The borders of the lace stripes are not straight because of the invisible sewing possibilities of certain patterns. The stripes, sewed together this way were made with two threads with a socalled 'point de raccroc' (raccroc stitch). In the case of highly elaborated pieces the sides of the two neighbouring stripes fitted precisely, even if it was made with wavy lines instead of straight ones. Then, the borders had to be sewn together precisely while adjusted. (Fig. 41 a) In the case of quicker but less demanding works, the stripes are made up to the border of the motive, but the tulle mesh of the other stripe is not precisely fitted to it: the mesh itself is made with a straight border. Then the stripe with the motive is laid upon the straight tulle mesh and they are fixed together. So there are several layers of laces on each other, but it is only perceptible by close examination, as the laces are extremely thin. (Fig. 41b) This scamped work can be seen only on certain parts of the shawl, which has bigger motifs. In rare cases, when the Chantilly motifs are sewn in small rings (see the coat and the cloak