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A Renascence OF THE

OF

IRISH

ART

LACE -MAKING

ALBERT R. MANN LIBRARY New York

State Colleges OF

Agriculture and

Home Economics

Cornell University

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A RENASCENCE

THE

IRISH ART OF LACE-MAKING

A RENASCENCE

THE

IRISH ART OF

LACE- MAKING. Illustrated by Photographic Reproductions of Irish Laces, 7U'iO

and

made from

specially designed Patterns.

INTRODUCTORY NOTES AND DESCRIPTIONS BY

A. S. C. ^

1

'

u

LONDON: CHAPMAN AND HALL, Limited. J

888.

316212 CHARLES DICKENS AND EV. CRYSTAL PALACE PRE'^S

A RENASCENCE OF

THE IRISH ART OF LACE-MAKING.

In the early days of the art of lace-making, before floating flounces, falling lappets, etc.,

when as

stiff

and insertions were

borders

lace

much by men

as

mostly of a formal

by women, books of

worn

patterns,

and geometric character, were

published in Venice, Rome, Antwerp, Paris,

were invented,

and were dedicated,

Cologne, and

high-flown phrases, to

in

the "profit and contentment of beautiful and skilful ladies."

This was

soon afterwards the lighter

an

in

sixteenth century.

the

art of

lace-making gave birth to

These exacted

and more varied expressions.

application

and

But

impossible

assiduity

for

those

whose

taste

and pleasure led them to adorn them-

selves

with,

rather

fairylike tissues,

than

to

take

part

in

making,

the production of which accordingly

devolved upon peasant women,

girls,

and conventual

communities, persons,

with

gifted

an

wants,

Under the patronage

etc.

intelHgence

defining

in

grew up

industry

artistic

of wealthy

and

;

in

their

some

sympathy

countries, during the seventeenth century,

with industrial prosperity and development prompted Ministers of State to organise work-centres of lace-

makers, and to bring them under the direct influence of distinguished

them.

who designed

artists,

In other countries,

encourage peasant

to

for

was frequently the kindly

it

who would do

disposed lady of the village or parish

what she could

patterns

women

in their

endeavours to earn a modest livelihood with their needles, or with their pillows and

bought and sold the

at

others,

and

when

patterns

workers would be of

the

either

bare

of

at

their wits'

of

the

life.

;

same

whilst

shapes

demand,

the

for

the want

Artistic

direction,

ends

by fashionable lace-wearers or clever men of

Ireland.

artistic

good harvest

ing

satisfied

necessities

trade, at such time

and

a

repetitions

had

and some-

results of the industry,

lace-makers reaped

times

Traders

bobbins.

design

was

Abroad, is

virtually in

by

in

England

, the leadership of

thoroughly understood as of

importance to the successful labour, which

unknown

itself is

employment of

only wasted energy.

first

skilful

vu

In spite of a want of

geographical

artistic direction,

circumstances seem to have been determining factors in

the survival

perhaps than these

days,

of lace-making in

in

England

when

;

and

perception

it

more so

Ireland,

comes

of the

to in

and

beautiful

dainty might be wider spread than formerly, that Irish

lace-making has somehow pressed consideration as being a

which

in favour of

it

home

upon public

itself

or cottage

industry,

worth while to apply

is

avail-

able resources to a development of fine style in

its

productions. It is

may be

foreign to the purpose of what

a nineteenth century " Pattern

to

be

a

history of

the

lace-making

in

necessary on

No

Ireland.

behalf of

the

held

to attempt

and fluctuations of

progress,

rise,

Book

"

pleading

special

industry.

Its

is

newest

productions have inherent vitality to arrest the notice of

artistic

A

amateurs of graceful accessories of costume.

may be

potent influence for good

fashion.

of blind

With many, however, fetichism

—a

habit in

fashion

fact

with

wielded by is

a

a sort

number

of people of accepting as a standard, something used or proposed for use by a recognised or self-asserted authority.

Submissiveness

to

such

a

habit

un-

doubtedly tends to frustrate the exercise of personal

and

independent

And

people.

lace-making

yet the

dormant

is

most

in

of an artistic industry like

life

hand

by

which

taste,

upon

depends

greatly

the

influence of cultured individuals, notwithstanding the

spasmodic impulses which whim and give

It

it.

may be

enough

well

ment a number of lace-makers,

much but

somewhat

alike,

it

ments

is

to call into

employ-

producing things

all

manner of machines

after the

;

and independent require-

better for refined

making of

to instigate the

may

fickle fashion

each

artistic laces,

of particular beauty and distinction, and so lead the

way.

lace- wearers

If

from

hint

those

of

were

to-day

take

to

a

two hundred years ago, they

of

would display an intelligence beyond the reach of

Modern

mere empiricism. of,

hand-made

laces

speciously occupied

them

—a

taste for,

hardly

exist

minds' eyes

there

beautiful

contrasts of dainty ornamental

textures full

called

lace,

who can scheme effects

marvellous

as

of

and

of surprises and pleasures, which

in

flowing

devices,

cobwebs,

is

for

evoked by miles totally

and structure from hand-made

are

the

place

by something which poses

upon miles of machine weavings

How many

their

;

flippant frothiness of fancy,

different in nature

and knowledge

laces.

their

forms,

varieties

of

compositions

may be wrought

IX

in different

to get their

who shun to

sorts

of lace, and then take

schemes realised

How many

?

value productions of

to

many, indeed, are there

are there

and improvement

the excellent diversion

be enjoyed by learning how to have

how

the pains

craft

artistic

?

who, under

not

and

taste,

How

pressure

of haste to possess, content themselves with being

mindless shapes, to be pranked out according to the draconic laws of the fashion-monger questions or

riddles

who

for those

have

will

from them.

laces

forth in this

little

Lace-making."

designs with

in

This

may be skill

in

suggestively set

is

Enough, perhaps,

show

given

is

that the

United Kingdom can revive,

pressions,

concern

record of a " Renascence in Irish

following illustrations to

of the

or no

little

take pleasure in seeing what

achieved by combining art

making

All of which

?

in

in

the

Emerald

Isle

modern ex-

glories of historic Venetian Points, Italian

Cut Works, and Points of Alengon and Argentan. There are seven which may be

briefly

different sorts of Irish lace- work,

named

as follows

I.

Flat Needlepoint Lace.

;?.

Raised Needlepoint Lace.

3.

Embroidery on Net, chain-stitch.

:

either of darning or

Cut Cambric or Linen-work,

4-

In

the style

for patterns

and appliqu4

of gtiipure

Laces.

Drawn

5.

Thread- work

Reticella and

Pillow Lace,

6.

in

the

in

Cut

Italian

imitation

style

of

Points.

Devonshire

of

Lace. Crochet.

7.

The

products of these different classes of work

may be used flounces,

poses

for

articles

handkerchiefs,

—-cushion-covers, designs

Special

wrought

in

lace

etc.,

of

and

furniture pur-

for

doyleys, quilts, etc.

for

have

all

sorts

been

now presented

of

things

produced

auspices of a Committee formed illustrations

trimmings,

costume,

are

specimens worked from designs

in

of

be

under the

1884; a

to

few

belonging

and the of

the

to

this

Committee.

A

considerable

sides those here

number of other specimens

be-

shown have been worked from new

patterns,

and repetitions of them can be produced.

Any one

desiring to ascertain particulars as to their

cost,

etc.,

may

obtain

the

required

information

applying direct to the different lace-making

and convents named.

by

centres

Further than designs

for

this,

laces

it

are

may be made

Municipal School of Art, Cork,

well at

and

to

the at

branches in Co. Kerry and Co. Cork

;

say that

Crawford

some of also

at

its

the

School of Art, Waterford, and at the Metropolitan School of Art, Dublin.

But

in

ordering a design,

the kind of ornamentation wanted should be stated, as

well

sign

is

as the class to

be carried

of lace-work in which the deout.

A.

May,

1888.

S. C.

No.

I.

PLASTRON AND COLLAR FOR A DRESS. These

are

needlepoint

laces

worked by

lace-

makers under the supervision of the nuns of the

Convent of Poor

Clares,

Kenmare, Co. Kerry.

The

pattern was designed by one of the nuns.

The fillings

style of the lace, with

and

its

its

varied and minute

gentle accentuations worked in

relief, is

suggestive of a variation in needlepoint lace-making

which was developed

in

during the

of the seventeenth century, factory of

Louis XIV.

hand-made at the

laces

when

latter part

the Royal

Manu-

had been established by

suggestion of his Minister, Colbert.

No.

2.

BORDERS OF RAISED NEEDLEPOINT LACE. The that

of

style of this needlepoint lace

two

based upon

Venetian lace (sometimes called

the

The

Point) of the seventeenth century.

these

is

borders

were

made

at

Rose

designs for

the

Crawford

Municipal School of Art, Cork, by Miss Perry, and

were then worked saint,

in the

North of Ireland,

at

Innismac-

by needlepoint lace-makers employed by Mr.

Ben Lindsey, Street, Dublin,

the well-known lace-dealer of Grafton

No.

3.

POCKET-HANDKERCHIEF AND BORDER. Like No.

2,

the style of this lace

is

adopted from

Venetian needlepoint lace of the seventeenth century.

The

designs were

School of Art lace

at

made by Mr.

S.

J.

Murphy, of the

Waterford, and were worked into

by workers under the supervision of the nuns of

the Carmelite Convent,

New

Ross, Co. Wexford.

*<•:

As?/

^\t:

No.

4.

BORDERS FOR TRIMMING DRESSES. The men

in

extremely delicate texture of the third specithis

plate

is

of needlepoint lace

;

remarkable.

The

laces are

all

but in this third specimen

we

have certainly more than a mere revival of the filmy needlepoint

laces,

made

Venice and Brussels

at

to-

wards the end of the seventeenth and the beginning of

the

eighteenth

centuries.

these

All

specimens

were worked by needlepoint lace-makers under the supervision of the nuns of the Presentation Convent at

Youghal, Co. Cork.

The the

designs for the two upper borders, in which

celebrated

ground

important part, were

a

brides

picotdes

made by Miss

Metropolitan School of Art,

Dublin

plays

an

Julyan, of the ;

those for the

two lower ones were made by Mr. Michael Hayes, of Limerick and London.

No.

5-

CROCHET BORDERS. Crochet lace Irish laces.

is

one of the more

scope of effect

Its

is

made of

easily

somewhat

limited,

as the nature of the process does not lend itself to

the production of dainty forms, such as those to be

found

the preceding plates.

in

theless,

Crochet

possesses a special cachet, and

considerable variety

of

is

Patterns,

effect.

never-

lace,

capable of like

those

shown, composed of simple geometric forms repeated an ordered manner, are possibly the more suc-

in

cessful. it

not

goes abroad.

Irish crochet

generally es under the

As

name

In

Paris

of Point d'Irlande.

a rule the better classes of Irish crochet lace are

known

somehow d'Irlande, in

Much

England

in

all.

Indeed, unless fashion

favours the adoption in England of Point

something quite new from

as

England

anything of

shall

at

Paris,

we

probably have no reason to think

it.

The specimens workers

at

Cork,

here shown

under

the

were

produced

supervision

Michael Holland (Messrs. Dwyer

&

of

Co., Cork).

by

Mr.

:^i^''r:

No.

6.

CARRICKMACROSS APPLIQUE LACE. This bric

flounce and border to match, of cut

or muslin

stitched

on

to

net

cam-

and

{appliqui),

embroidered with various devices, were made from designs for

awarded

and

which special prizes were offered

Her

by

Londonderry.

The

Excellency lace

the

was produced

Marchioness at the

of

Bath and

Shirley Schools, Carrickmacross, and has an appear-

ance

The

somewhat design

Essex.

is

similar

by Miss

to

Z.

Brussels appliqu4

A.

lace.

Inman, of Halstead,

No.

7.

LIMERICK LACE FLOUNCE. The

pattern of this Limerick {tambour) embroidery

upon net was designed by Miss Emily Anderson, of the Crawford Municipal School of Art, lace

Cork.

The

was made by workers under the supervision of

Mrs. R. Vere O'Brien, of Limerick.

No.

8.

PARASOL COVER OF CUT LINEN. Ornamental cut linen work was sorts of

house

etc., in Italy in

linen,

in

for

all

table-cloths, curtains, coverlets,

But

the sixteenth century.

until later times that

vogue

it

was adopted

which might be suitably made

in

it

was not

for other articles it.

Mr. Michael

Hayes, of Limerick and London, designed the pattern for the present specimen,

which was worked

Bath and Shirley Schools, Carrickmacross.

at the

No.

9.

LIMERICK LACE BORDERS. This at a

set of borders of different widths

newly established lace-making

was worked

class in connection

with the St. Vincent's Convent of Charity, at Cork,

from patterns designed by Miss Emily Anderson, of the Crawford Municipal School of Art, Cork.

The

scheme of the pattern

lace-

is

one which gives the

worker favourable opportunities of displaying her in

skill

the use of a variety of ornamental devices, which

she introduces into the spaces

left

between the

twining sprays of flowers and leaves.

Many

inter-

of the

eighteenth century laces of and Belgium are notable Points.

for

similar

dAlenfon.

decorative

motifs,

especially the

No.

lo.

LIMERICK LACE FLOUNCE AND BORDER.

A

lace-

making centre

Limerick laces made with flax or silk

— has

do

this

work

fine

for

all

sorts

of

white threads either of

been quite recently organised by the

Convent of Mercy, to

— especially

at Kinsale.

Children are taught

in the school attached to the

and wives of the fishermen of the town

convent

also

make

similar laces,

under the supervision of the nuns of

the convent.

The

design for the flounce and border

was made by Miss Emily Anderson, of the Crawford Municipal School of Art, Cork, and was selected by

Her Majesty The Queen

in

1886.

No.

II.

SCARF OF LIMERICK RUN LACE. The Limerick

run lace

the tambour work. or darning on so

much

It is

in

a descendant of the running

meshed grounds, which had

net or

success

of lighter effect than

is

the

late

sixteenth

and

early-

seventeenth centuries, when the meshes of the net

were square

in shape.

produced great

At

in

known

as

from designs by F.

who

many

both countries.

appointment of

work,

Lassis,

Vinciolo, a pattern-maker

books

of the

quantities

Punto a Maglia and

and

that time Italy

published

In the

designer

for

latter

pattern

he held the

Queen Catherine de

Medicis,

The

scarf here

shown was designed by Mrs. R.

Vere O'Brien, of Limerick, and worked by the makers under her

direction.

lace-

No.

12.

FLOUNCE AND BORDER OF LIMERICK (TAMBOUR) LACE. The

pattern for these was designed by a nun at

Kenmare

the

Convent of Poor

lace

was made by lace-makers under the

Clares,

of Mrs. R. Vere O'Brien, of Limerick.

;

and

the

direction

NEW PATTERNS FOR The endeavour use of Irish

to

IRISH LACE.

new

obtain

lace-makers was

patterns

commenced

for

the

in

1884,

under the patronage of a Committee which

since

then has been added

consists of the following

Her Excellency

Devonshire, K.G. of

Lady Dorothy

The The The The The The The The The Sir

St.

Albans.

of Wellington. Nevill.

Mrs. Alfred Morrison.

The Hon. Mr. Justice O'Hagan. The Hon. Mrs. O'Hagan. The Drapers' Company. The Skinners' Company. Mrs. Adair.

Earl Spencer, K.G.

J.

T. Brunner, Esq., M.P.

Countess Spencer.

Miss Keane.

Countess of Aberdeen.

Colonel and Mrs. Donnelly.

Earl Rosse.

Mrs. Power Lalor.

Viscount Monck.

Richard Bagwell, Esq.

Lord Emly.

Mrs. Alan Cole.

Lord Carlingford, K.P.

Vera Foster, Esq.

Lord Monteagle.

W.

Lady O'Hagan.

Mrs. Arthur Kavanagh.

Richard Wallace,

Bart.,

K.C.B., M.P. Sir

at present

:

the Marchioness

of Londonderry.

The Duke of The Duchess The Duchess

This Committee

to.

George and Lady Colthurst.

The Dowager Lady Colthurst. The Hon. Mrs. Pereira. The Hon. Mrs. Albert Petre.

E. H. Lecky, Esq.

E. Falconer Litton, Esq., Q.C.

Edward W.

O'Brien, Esq.

Mrs. R. Vere O'Brien. Mrs. Arthur Trench.

John E. Vernon, Esq.

37

The

following notice

of the

the Committee was issued in

action

1884

by

initiated

:

Proposal for the Maintenance of the Domestic Industry OF Lace-making in Ireland.

The making

I.

of lace in

Ireland

by some hundreds of peasants

practised

a domestic industry,

is

in their

homes, by com-

munities in Convents, by children in Industrial and other Schools,

and by

others.

Great

skill in

the work has been developed since

the earlier part of the present century

duced

when

the industry was intro-

to the country through the efforts of Philanthropists.

But the development of

II.

this skill

has not been accompanied

with the production and use of well-designed patterns.

The

merits

of the Irish lace, through which a variable trade has been established, rest

upon

workmanship applied

excellent

to a few forms of

somewhat

stereotyped and poor design.

Consequently the fluctuating success of Irish lace-making

III. is

traceable to an evanescent

something

what

is

''

and uncertain fancy of consumers

for

quaint and original," or to a sentimental desire for

rather detrimentally called a " National production."

The

absence of a regulated supply of well-drawn and composed patterns

seems to prevent the industry from becoming established upon either

an

IV.

artistic or

The means

in the Schools of is

a sound commercial basis. of organising a supply of such patterns exist

Art of the United Kingdom.

But an incentive

necessary to call those means into operation and to induce the

lace-makers to feel that designs.

Looking

to

it

is

to their interest to adopt

the social advantages

improved

of developing this

domestic industry in the midst of a considerable agricultural and

some important

fishing population similar in

and Belgium, tribution

Ireland.

of

new

it

is

patterns

proposed to

respects to those of

raise a

fund for the

dis-

amongst the scattered lace-workers of

38

The

V. of

proposed to be taken as soon as a fund, say

steps

£s°°> be raised are as follows

To

1.

offer

money

:

prizes for the production of designs for

the various classes of work of which there are upwards of seven classes

grouped under the name " Irish Lace

;

"

Needlepoint

Lace (from Youghal, Innishmacsaint, Cappoquin, Kenmare, Killarney);

2,

Lace (from Parsonstown);

Pillow

Linen Embroidery (Newtown Barry, Cappoquin);

Work

(Carrickmacross)

Braid and Cord

6,

(Limerick)

8,

;

may be put

Crochet

5,

;

Lace (Ardee)

(Co. 7,

;

numerous uses

use for curtains, table-cloths,

etc.

Cork,

;

all

in respect of dress ;

and

Drawn

Clones)

Embroidery on Net

Cambric Embroidery (Donegal)

to

3,

Cut Linen

4,

;

of which

domestic

ecclesiastical use

—

albs,

altar frontals, chalice veils, etc. 2.

To

select,

with the advice of recognised authorities, a

dozen or more suitable 3.

To

patterns.

order, with a guarantee of

payment

to the workers,

specimens of such patterns executed by picked lace-workers in various districts. 4.

in

To

exhibit these specimens in

London, Dublin, 5.

To make

Belfast,

institution

photographs of these specimens for circulation

to subscribers to the fund

The

some public

Cork, and elsewhere.

and

to dealers in lace.

subscriptions which have been received during

the three years, from 1885 to 1888, are as follows

£ The

J.

Drapers'

Company

(second subscription) ... „ „ T. Brunner, Esq., M.P. (per the Countess of

Aberdeen) Sir

...

Richard Wallace

Mrs. Alfred Morrison

:

39

£

The Duke of Devonshire, K.G Edward Guinness, Esq. The Skinners' Company Messrs. Copestake, Hughes, and

Crampton

...

Messrs. Marshall and Snelgrove

The Duchess of St. Albans The Marchioness ofWaterford The Earl Rosse Edward W.

O'Brien,

Esq

Richard Bagwell, Esq

Monck The Lord Emly The Honourable Mr.

Viscount

Justice

O'Hagan

John E. Vernon, Esq Baroness de Rothschild

John Hampden Fordham, Esq. Mrs. Adair Mrs. R. de

la

Poer

C. F. Redington,

; .

Esq

E. Martyn, Esq.

Lord Monteagle Mrs. and Mrs. James Bannatyne Messrs.

Haywards

Robert Vere O'Brien, Esq B.

R

Mrs. Arthur Kavanagh

William Whiteley, Esq. Dr. and Mrs. M'Donnell „

„

(second subscription)

„

Edward Falconer Litton, W. E. H. Lecky, Esq „

„

Mrs. Longfield

Lady Keane

„

Esq.,

Q.C

(second subscription)

...

40 d.

Mrs.

Warde

2

o

James Brenan, Esq., R.H.A.

2

o o

Lady Camilla Foster

I

R. E. Lyne, Esq.

I

o

Lady Musgrave

I

o

I

o

Lady Dorothy

...

Nevill

Mrs. Perceval Maxwell

I

o

Mrs. Power Lalor

I

o

Whitelock Lloyd, Esq.

I

Miss Keane (various small subscriptions

O

lO

o

Mrs. Colomb

O lO

o

Three yearly competitions for lace

been

have been

spent

in

held,

prizes

for prizes

is

being

now

for designs

and upwards of ^225 has

(money

awards) and

A

purchase of experimental pieces.

^108

o

further

in

sum

the of

spent in having special specimens

of Irish lace made, of which

some are

to

be seen

in

the foregoing illustrations.

The names the

of

subscribers

Hon. Treasurer, Alan

Kensington Museum, all

communications

to

S.

whom

may be

will

be received by

Cole, it

is

Esq.,

South

requested that

addressed.

CHARLES DICKENS AND EVANS, CRYSTAL PALACE PRESS.

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mm rgll^B

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