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Notes
Wilkinson's Ancient Egyptians, vol. iii., p. 134. (See Illustration.)
Herodotus, ii. 182; iii. 47.
Ezekiel, who takes up the cry of lamentation for "Tyrus, situate at the entry of the sea," a merchant of the people for many isles, exclaims, "The merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad were thy merchants. These were thy merchants in all sorts of things, in blue cloths and broidered works, and in chests of rich apparel." Another part of the same chapter mentions galley sails of fine linen "with broidered work from Egypt."—Ezekiel xxvii.
Exodus xxvi.; xxvii.; xxxiv. 2; Isaiah iii. 18; 1 Kings vii. 17.
Exodus xxxviii. 23.
Again, in the song of Deborah, the mother of Sisera says, "Have they not divided the prey?... to Sisera a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides."—Judges v. 30.
Cantor Lectures on the Art of Lace-making. A. S. Cole (London, 1881).
At Athens the maidens who took part in the procession of the Panathenaea embroidered the veil or peplos upon which the deeds of the goddess were embroidered. The sacred peplos borne on the mast of a ship rolled on wheels in the Panathenaic festival "was destined for the sacred wooden idol, Athene Polias, which stood on the Erechtheus. This peplos was a woven mantle renewed every five years. On the ground, which is described as dark violet, and also as saffron-coloured, was inwoven the battle of the gods and the giants." (See page 47, British Museum Catalogue to the Sculptures of the Parthenon.)
Pliny, Hist. Nat., viii. 74. "Colores diversos picturae intexere Babylon maxime celebravit et nomen imposuit."
Maspero, The Dawn of Civilisation in Egypt and Chaldaea (ed. Prof. Sayce).
Lefébure, Embroidery and Lace (trans. A. S. Cole).
Lucan, Pharsalia, Book X.
The Romans denominated such embroideries phrygionae, and the embroiderer phrygio. Golden embroideries were specified as auriphrygium. This word is the root of the French orfroi (orfreys).
Mrs. Palliser quotes an extract from the author of Letters from Italy, who, speaking of the cabinet at Portici, mentions an elegant marble statue of Diana "dressed after the purple gowns worn by the Roman ladies; the garment is edged with a lace exactly resembling point; it is an inch and a half broad, and has been painted purple." By an Englishwoman (Mrs. Millar) in the years 1770 and 1771 (London, 1777).
Strutt.
Lefébure, Embroidery and Lace.
Mrs. Bury Palliser, "Embroidery," Encyclopædia Britannica.
St. Giselle, Berthe's sister, founded many convents in Aquitaine and Provence, and taught the nuns all manner of needlework (Lefébure, Embroidery and Lace).
Chronique Rimée, by Philippe Mouskés.
Lefébure, Embroidery and Lace.
Mrs. Palliser, "Embroidery," Encyclopædia Britannica.
It has been suggested that the embroidery was done by William's granddaughter, the Empress Matilda, widow in 1125 of Henry V., Emperor of Germany, and wife, by her second marriage, of Geoffrey, Count of Anjou (Lefébure).
Mr. Fowke states that the tradition which would make the tapestry the handiwork of Queen Matilda cannot be traced further back than 1803, when the tapestry was sent to Paris for exhibition.
Matt. Par., Hist. Angl., p. 473, Edit. Paris, 1644.
Mrs. Palliser, "Embroidery," Encyclopædia Britannica.
At Verona an artist took twenty-six years to execute in needlework the life of St. John, after the designs of Pollajuolo.
"Gaston, Duke of Orleans, established hot-houses and botanical gardens, which he filled with rare exotics to supply the needle with new forms and richer tints" (Lefébure).
We read, for instance, that Gabrielle de Bourbon, wife of Louis de la Trémouille, "jamais n'estoit oyseuse, mais s'employoit une partie de la journée en broderies et autres menus ouvrages appartenant à telles dames, et y occupoit ses demoyselles dont avoit bonne quantité, et de grosses, riches, et illustres maisons."—Panegyric de Loys de la Trèmoille par Jean Bouchet.
Again Vecellio dedicates his "Corona" to Signora Nanni, not only on account of the pleasure she takes in works of the needle, but for "il diletto che prende in farne essercitar le donne de casa sua, ricetto delle più virtuose giovani che hoggidi vivono in questa città."
"It is usual here," writes a lady from Madrid in 1679, "for good families to put their daughters to ladies, by whom they are employed to embroider in gold and silver, or various colours, or in silk, about the shift, neck, and hands."
"I jor fist es chambre son pere,
Une estole et i amict pere,
De soie et d'or molt soutilment,
Si i fait ententivement
Mainte croisette et mainte estoile,
Et dist ceste chancon à toile."
—Roman de la Violette.
"One day, seated in her father's room, she was skilfully working a stole and amict in silk and gold, and she was making in it, with great care, many a little cross and many a little star, singing all the while this chanson à toile."
In one of Edward I. we find a charge of eight shillings for silk bought for the embroidery work of Margaret, the King's daughter, and another for four ounces of silk, two hundred ounces of gold thread, a spindle, etc.—Liber de Garderoba, 23 Edw. I., Public Record Office.
In one of Edward III. the sum of £2 7s. 2d. is expended in the purchase of gold thread, silk, etc., for his second daughter Joanna.—Liber Garderobae, 12-16 Edw. III., Public Record Office.
Elizabeth of York worked much at her needle. In the account of her household, preserved in the Public Record Office, every page of which is signed by Queen Elizabeth herself, we find—
"To Evan Petreson joiner, for the stuff and making of 4 working stools for the Queen; price of the stool 16 pence—5s. 4d.
"To Thomas Fissch, for an elne of linen cloth for a samplar for the queen, 8d."
In the Inventory 4 Edward VI., 1552 (Harl. MSS. No. 1419), are entries of—
"Item, XII. samplars" (p. 419).
"Item, one samplar of Normandie canvas, wrought with green and black silk" (p. 524).
"A book of parchment containing diverses patternes" (p. 474), probably purchases for his sisters.
See, for instance, the interesting account of the Countess of Oxford, given by Miss Strickland in her Life of Queen Elizabeth of York.
These are alluded to in the dialogue between Industria and Ignavia, as given in Sibmacher's "Modelbuch," 1601 (French translation): "La vieille dame raconte l'histoire des concours de travail à l'aiguille chez les anciens Espagnols; comme Isabelle, femme de Ferdinand, a hautement estimé les travaux de l'aiguille."
The "Spanish stitch," so often mentioned, was brought in by Katharine, on her marriage with Prince Arthur, in 1501. We have constantly in her wardrobe accounts sheets and pillow-beres, "wrought with Spanish work of black silk at the edge."
In the Inventory of Lord Monteagle, 1523 (Public Record Office,) are "eight partlets, three garnished with gold, the rest with Spanish work."
In 1556, among the New Year's gifts presented to Queen Mary Tudor, most of the smocks are "wrought with black silk, Spanish fashion."
In the Great Wardrobe Accounts of Queen Elizabeth, 3 & 4, Public Record Office, we have "sixteen yards of Spanish work for ruffs."
"Twelve tooth cloths, with the Spanish stitch, edged with gold and silver bone lace."—Ibid. Eliz. 5 & 6.
The Spanish stitch appears in France with Henry II., 1557. "Pour la façon d'ung gaban avec ung grant collet chamarrez à l'Espaignolle de passement blanc," etc.—Comptes de l'Argentier du Roy. Archives Nat. K. K. 106.
Taylor, the Water Poet, Katharine of Aragon.
The industry of Henry's last queen was as great as that of his first. Specimens still exist at Sizergh Castle, Westmoreland, of Katharine Parr's needlework—a counterpane and a toilet cover. An astrologer, who cast her nativity, foretold she would be a queen; so when a child, on her mother requiring her to work, she would exclaim, "My hands are ordained to touch crowns and sceptres, not needles and spindles."
Dames Illustres.
The "Reine des Marguerites," the learned sister of Francis I., was not less accomplished with her needle, and entries for working materials appear in her accounts up to the year of her death, 1549.
"Trois marcs d'or et d'argent fournis par Jehan Danes, pour servir aux ouvraiges de la dicte dame."—Livre de dépenses de Marguerite d'Angoulême, par le Comte de la Ferrière-Percy. Paris, 1862.
"Elle addonoit son courage
A faire maint bel ouvrage
Dessus la toile, et encor
A joindre la soye et l'or.
Vous d'un pareil exercise
Mariez par artifice
Dessus la toile en maint trait
L'or et la soie en pourtrait."
—Ode à la Royne de Navarre, liv. ii., od. vii.
1380. "Œuvre de nonnain."—Inventaire de Charles V.
"My grandmother, who had other lace, called this" (some needlepoint) "nun's work."—Extract from a letter from the Isle of Man, 1862.
"A butcher's wife showed Miss O—— a piece of Alençon point, which she called 'nun's work.'"—Extract from a letter from Scotland, 1863.
1698, May. In the London Gazette, in the advertisement of a sale by auction, among other "rich goods," we find "nun's work," but the term here probably applies to netting, for in the Protestant Post Boy of March 15th, 1692, is advertised as lost "A nun's work purse wrought with gold thread."
1763. In the Edinburgh Advertiser appears, "Imported from the Grand Canaries, into Scotland, nun's work."
As, for instance, "the imbrothering" of the monks of the monastery of Wolstrope, in Lincolnshire.
Livre de Lingerie. Dom. de Sera, 1581. "Donne, donzelle, con gli huomini."—Taglienti, 1530. Patterns which "les Seigneurs, Dames, et Damoiselles ont eu pour agréables."—Vinciolo, 1587.
Jehan Mayol, carme de Lyon; Fra Hieronimo, dell' Ordine dei Servi; Père Dominique, religieux carme, and others.
One in the Bibliothèque Impériale is from the "Monasterio St. Germani à Pratis."
He died in 1595. Lives of the Earl and Countess of Arundel, from the original MS. by the Duke of Norfolk. London, 1857.
P. R. O. Calendar of State Papers. Domestic. Charles I. Vol. clxix. 12.
P. R. O. Calendar of State Papers. Colonial. No. 789.
See his epigram, "The Royal Knotter," about the queen,
"Who, when she rides in coach abroad
Is always knotting threads."
Translated from the Libellus de Admirandis beati Cuthberti Miraculis of Reginald, monk of Durham, by Rev. J. Rain. Durham, 1855.
Chronicle of John Hardyng, circ. 1470.
Temp. Rich. II. In their garments "so much pouncing of chesell to make holes, so much dragging (zigzagging) of sheers," etc.—Good Parson, Chaucer.
Percy, Reliques of Ancient Poetry, vol. iii.
Anatomie of Abuses, by Philip Stubbes, 1583.
The Shyp of Folys of the Worlde, translated out of Latin by Alex. Barclay, 1508.
The inventories of all nations abound in mention of these costly articles. The "smocks" of Katharine of Aragon "for to lay in," were wrought about the collar with gold and silk. Lord Monteagle, 1523, had "two fine smocks of cambric wrought with gold." (Inv. P. R. O.) Among the New Year's Gifts offered to Queen Mary Tudor by the Duchess of Somerset (1556), we find a smock wrought over with silk, and collar and ruffles of damask, gold purl, and silver. Again, in the household expenses of Marguerite de France, 1545, we find a charge of "4 livres 12 sols, pour une garniture de chemise ouvré de soye cramoisie pour madicte dame."—(Bib. Imp. MSS. Fonds François, 10,394.) About the same date (G. W. A. Eliz. 1 & 2, 1558-59) appear charges for lengthening one smocke of drawne work, 20s. Six white smockes edged with white needlework lace, 10s. To overcasting and edging 4 smockes of drawn work with ruffs, wristbands, and collars, three of them with black work, and three of them with red, etc. At the funeral of Henry II. of France, 1559, the effigy was described as attired in "une chemise de toile de Hollande, bordée au col et aux manches d'ouvraige fort excellent."—Godefroy, Le Cérémonial de France, 1610.
See France.
The pillow-bere has always been an object of luxury, a custom not yet extinct in France, where the "taies d'oreiller, brodées aux armes," and trimmed with a rich point, form an important feature in a modern trousseau. In the inventory of Margaret of Austria, the gentle governess of the Low Countries, are noted—
"Quatre toyes d'oraillers ouvrées d'or et de soye cramoysie et de verde.
"Autres quatres toyes d'oraillers faites et ouvrées d'or et de soye bleu à losanges qui ont estées données à Madame par dom Diego de Cabrera."—Corr. de l'Empereur Maximilien I. et de Marguerite d'Autriche, par M. Leglay. Paris, 1839.
Edward VI. has (Harl. MSS. 1419) "18 pillow-beres of hollande with brode seams of silk of sundry coloured needlework." And again, "One pillow-bere of fine hollande wrought with a brode seam of Venice gold and silver, and silk nedlework."
And Lady Zouche presents Queen Elizabeth, as a New Year's gift, with "One pair of pillow-beares of Holland work, wrought with black silk drawne work."—Nichol's Royal Progresses.
Goderonné—goudronné, incorrectly derived from pitch (goudron), has no relation to stiffness or starch, but is used to designate the fluted pattern so much in vogue in the sixteenth century—the "gadrooned" edge of silversmiths.
1588. Il avait une fraise empesée et godronnée à gros godrons, au bout de laquelle il y avoit de belle et grande dentelle, les manchettes estoient goudronnées de mesme.
They are introduced into the Title page of this work.
See Appendix.
"Quintain, quintin, French lawne." Randle Cotgrave. Dictionarie of the French and English tongues. 1611.
"26 virges de Kanting pro sudariis pro ille 47⁄8."—G. W. A. Charles II., 1683-4.
Lacis, espèce d'ouvrage de fil ou de soie fait en forme de filet ou de réseuil dont les brins étaient entre-lacez les uns dans les autres.—Dict. d'Ant. Furetière, 1684.
Béle Prerie contenant differentes sortes de lettres, etc., pour appliquer sur le réseuil ou lassis. Paris, 1601. See Appendix.
So, in the Epistle to the Reader, in a Pattern-book for Cut-works (London, J. Wolfe & Edward White, 1591), the author writes of his designs:—
"All which devises are soe framed in due proportion as taking them in order the one is formed or made by the other, and soe proceedeth forward; whereby with more ease they may be sewed and wrought in cloth, and keeping true accompt of the threads, maintaine the bewtey of the worke. And more, who desyreth to bring the work into a lesser forme, let them make the squares lesse. And if greater, then inlarge them, and so may you worke in divers sortes, either by stitch, pouncing or pouldering upon the same as you please. Alsoe it is to be understood that these squares serve not only for cut-workes, but alsoe for all other manner of seweing or stitching."—(See Appendix, No. 72).
Pratique de l'aiguille industrieuse du très excellent Milour Matthias Mignerak, etc. Paris, 1605. See Appendix.
The inventories of Charles de Bourbon, ob. 1613, with that of his wife, the Countess of Soissons, made after her death, 1644 (Bib. Nat. MSS. F. Fr. 11,426), alone prove how much this réseuil was in vogue for furniture during the seventeenth century.
"Item un pavilion de thoille de lin à bende de reseuil blang et noir faict par carel prisé, vi. l. t. (livres tournois).
"Item quatre pentes de ciel de cotton blanc à carreaux.
"Item trois pentes de ciel de thoille de lin à carreaux et raiseuil recouvert avec le dossier pareil estoffe, et petit carreau à point couppé garny de leur frange, le fonds du ciel de thoille de lin, trois custodes et une bonne grace et un drap pareille thoille de lin à bandes de reseuil recouvert ... prisé xviii. l. t."—Inv. de Charles de Bourbon.
"Item une autre tapisserie de rezeuil de thoile blanche en huit pièces contenant ensemble vingt aulnes on environ sur deux aulnes trois quarts de haute.
"Item une autre tenture de tapisserie de rézeau tout de leine (lin) appliquée sur de la toille blanche en sept pièces contenant dix-huit aulnes de cours sur trois aulnes de haute.
"Item trois pantes, fonds de dossier, les deux fourreaux de piliers, la converture de parade, le tout en point couppé et toillé.
"Item, une garniture de lict blanc, faict par carré d'ouvrage de poinct couppé, le tout garny avec la couverte de parade, prisé la somme de soixante livres tournois."—Inv. de la Comtesse de Soissons.
Dated 20 Feb., 1587. Now in the Record Office, Edinburgh.
1781. "Dix-huit Pales de differentes grandeurs, tous de toile garnis tant de petite dentelle que de filet brodé."—Inv. de l'Eglise de S. Gervais. Arch. Nat. L.L. 654.
Point and Pillow Lace, by A. M. S. (London, 1899).
In the Record Office, Edinburgh.
"Mache, the Masches (meshes) or holes of a net between the thread and thread" (Cotgrave).
Comptes de la Reine de Navarre, 1577. Arch. Nat. K.K. 162.
Inventory of Catherine de Médicis, Bonaffé.
Randle Holme, in The School Mistris Terms of Art for all her Ways of Sewing, has "A Samcloth, vulgarly, a Samplar."
In the Bock collection, part of which has since been bought for the Victoria and Albert Museum, are specimens of "rézeuil d'or," or network with patterns worked in with gold thread and coloured silks. Such were the richly-wrought "serviettes sur filez d'or" of Margaret of Austria.
"Autre servyette de Cabes (Cadiz) ouvrée d'or, d'argent sur fillez et bordée d'or et de gris.
"Autre serviette à Cabes de soye grise et verde à ouvrage de fillez bordée d'une tresse de verd et gris."—Inventory already quoted.
"Le Gan," de Jean Godard, Parisien, 1588.
Descriptive Catalogue of the Collections of Tapestry and Embroidery in the South Kensington Museum (p. 5).
Lace. French, dentelle; German, Spitzen; Italian, merletto, trina; Genoa, pizzo; Spanish, encaje; Dutch, kanten.
Statute 3 Edw. IV. c. iii.
"Passement, a lace or lacing."—Cotgrave.
Not in those of Rob. Estienne, 1549; Frère de l'Aval, 1549; or Nicot, 1606. Cotgrave has, "Dentelle, small edging (and indented), bone-lace, or needlework." In Dict. de l'Académie, 1694, we find, "Dentelle, sorte de passement à jour et à mailles tres fines ainsi nommé parceque les premières qu'on fit etoient dentelées."
Comptes de l'Argentier du Roi, 1557.—Arch. Nat. K. K. 106. "Passement de fine soie noire dentelle d'un costé." "Passement blanc," "grise," also occur.
Argenterie de la Reine, 1556.—Arch. Nat. K. K. 118.
Dépenses de la maison de Madame Marguerite de France, sœur du Roi.—Bib. Nat. MSS. F. Fr. 10,394, fol. 62.
"Plus de delivré une pacque de petite dentelle qui est estez cousu ensemble pour mettre sur les coutures des rideaux des ditz litz contenant 80 aunes."—Rec. Off., Edin. This custom of trimming the seams of bed-curtains with a lace indented on both sides was common throughout Europe. In the Chartley Inv. of Mary Stuart, 1586, one of the Vasquines (jackets) is described, "Autre de satin noir descouppée a descouppemie dentelés."
1577. "Pour deux aulnes de passement d'argent a hautte dantelle pour mettre à ung renvers, au pris de soixante solz l'aulne.
"Pour une aulne de dentelle pour faire deux cornettes pour servir à la dicte dame, quatre livres."—Cptes. de la Reine de Navarre. Arch. Nat. K. K. 162.
See Appendix.
"Petits et grands passements; id. à l'esguille; id. faict au mestier; id. de Flandres à poinctes; id. orangé à jour; id. de Flandres satiné;" with "reseuil, dantelles, grandes et petites, or, argent," etc.—Inv. de Madame, sœur du Roi. Arch. Nat. K. K. 234.
So late as 1645, in the inventory of the church of St. Médard at Paris (Arch de l'Emp. L. L. 858), the word is used. We find, "Quatre tours de chaire de thoille baptiste, ung beau surplis pour le predicateur, six autres, cinq corporaulx," all "à grand passement." Also, "deux petits corporaulx à petit passement," and "trois tours de chaire garnyz de grand passement à dentelle."
Inv. apres le decès de Mgr. le Maréchal de La Motte.—Bib. Nat. MSS. F. Fr. 11,426.
The French terms are more comprehensive:—
Champ, fond travaillé à jour.
Toilé, fleurs entièrement remplies, formant un tissu sans jour.
Grillé, grillage, plein. Also flowers—but distinguished from toilé by having little square spaces between the thread (grillé, grating), the work not being so compact.
"On appelle couleuvre, une blond dont le toilé continue serpente entre deux rangs de grillage."—Roland de la Platière (the Girondin). Art. Dentelle, Encyclopédie Méthodique. Paris, 1780.
Storehouse of Armory and Blason. 1688.
"Brides—petits tissus de fil qui servent à joindre les fleurs les unes avec les autres dans l'espèce de dentelle qu'on appelle Point de France, de Venise, de Malines."—Dict de l'Académie.
"Une robe et tablier, garnis d'une dentelle d'Angleterre à picot."—Inv. de decès de la Duchesse de Bourbon. Arch. Nat. X. 10,064.
"Une chemisette de toile d'hollande garnye de point de Paris."—Inv. d'Anne d'Escoubleau, Baronne de Sourdis, veuve de François de Simiane. 1681. Arch. Nat. M. M. 802.
"Cette dernière sorte de point se fait aux fuseaux."—Dict. du P. Richelet. Lyon. 1759.
Dict. d'Ant. Furetière. Augmenté par M. Basnage. La Haye, 1727.
1656.
1651. "Huit aulnes de toile commune garnies de neige."—Inv. des emubles de la Sacristie de l'Oratoire de Jésus, à Paris. Bib. Nat. MSS. F. Fr. 8621.
"Neuf autres petites nappes; les deux premières de toile unie; la troisième à dentelle quallifié de neige."—Ibid.
French, dentelle à fuseaux; Italian, merli a piombini; Dutch, gespeldewerkte kant; Old Flemish, spelle werk.
French, carreau, cousin, oreiller; Italian, tombolo; Venice, ballon; Spanish, mundillo.
See Chapter XXIV.
The number of bobbins is generally equal to 50 to each square inch. If the lace be one inch wide, it will have 625 meshes in each square inch, or 22,500 in a yard. The work, therefore, goes on very slowly, though generally performed with the greatest dexterity.
At Gisors, Saint-Denis, Montmorency, and Villiers-le-Bel.—Savary, Grand Dict. du Commerce, 1720.
Cotgrave gives, "Bisette, a plate (of gold, silver, or copper) wherewith some kinds of stuffes are stripped." Oudin, "Feuille ou paillette d'or ou d'argent." In these significations it frequently occurs. We find with numerous others:
"1545. 55 sols pour une once bizette d'argent pour mectre à des colletz."
"Six aulnes bizette de soie noire pour mettre sur une robbe, lv. s.," in the Accounts of Madame Marguerite de France. (Bib. Nat.)
"1557. Bizette de soye incarnatte et jaulne pour chamarrer ung pourpoint de satin rouge" of Henry II.—Cptes. de l'Argentier du Roi. Arch. Nat. K. K. 106.
"1579. Petite bizette d'or fin dentellez des deux costez pour servir à desmanches de satin cramoisy" of Catherine de Médicis.—Trésorerie de la royne mère du roy. Arch. Nat. K. K. 115.
In the Chartley Inv. 1586, of Mary Stuart, is mentioned, "Un plotton de bisette noire."
Dict. de l'Académie.
Campane, from sonnette, clochette, même grêlot. "Les sonnettes dont on charge les habits pour ornement. Les festons qu'on met aux étoffes et aux dentelles."—Oudin.
Public Record Office.
In the last century it was much the fashion to trim the scalloped edges of a broader lace with a narrower, which was called to "campaner."
1720. "Une garniture de teste à trois pièces de dentelle d'Angleterre à raiseau, garni autour d'une campane à dents."—Inv. de la Duchesse de Bourbon.
1741. "Une paire de manches à trois rangs de Malines à raizeau campanée."—Inv. de decès de Mademoiselle Marie Anne de Bourbon de Clermont. Arch. Nat. X. 11,071. (Daughter of Mademoiselle de Nantes and Louis Duke de Bourbon.)
"Une coëffure de Malines à raizeau à deux pièces campanée."—Ibid.
In the lace bills of Madame du Barry, preserved in the Bib. Nat., are various entries of Angleterre et point à l'aiguille, "campanée des deux côtés" for ruffles, camisoles, etc.
1759. "Huit palatines tant points que mignonettes."—Inv. de decès de Louise Henriette de Bourbon-Conty, Princesse du Sang, Duchesse de Orléans. Arch. Nat. X. 10,077.
"Trente-vingt paires de manchettes, quatre coëffures, le tout tant de differents points qu'Angleterre, mignonettes que tulles."—Ibid.
1758. "Une paire de manchettes à trois rangs de blonde de fil sur entoilage."—Inv. de Mademoiselle Louise Anne de Bourbon Condé de Charollais (sister of Mademoiselle de Clermont). Arch. Nat. X. 10,076.
1761. "Fichus garnis à trois rangs de blonde de fil sur entoilage."—Inv. de Charlotte Aglaë d'Orléans, Princesse du Sang, Duchesse de Modène (daughter of the Regent).
1789. Ruffles of blonde de fil appear also in the Inv. de decès de Monseigneur le Duc de Duras. Bib. Nat. MSS. F. Fr. 11,440.
Mostly at Bayeux.
"On employe aussi pour les coëffures de la mignonette, et on a tellement perfectionné cette dentelle, que estant peu de chose dans son commencement est devenue de consequence et même très chère, j'entends, la plus fine qu'on fait sur de beaux patrons."—Le Mercure Galant, 1699.
"Guiper. Tordre les fils pendans d'une frange par le moyen de l'instrument qu'on nomme guipoir, fer crochu d'un côté, et chargé de l'autre d'un petit morceau de plomb pour lui donner du poids."—Savary.
"Guipure. A grosse black thread covered or whipped about with silk."—Cotgrave.
"Guipure. Manière de dentelle de soie où il y a des figures de rose ou d'autres fleurs, et qui sert à parer les jupes des dames.... Sa jupe est pleine de guipure."—Dict. du P. Richelet. 1759.
Roland. We cannot help thinking this a mistake. In the statutes of the Passementiers, we find mention of buttons "à têtes de mort," or would it rather be "tête de moire," from the black moire hoods (têtes) worn by the Italian women, which were often edged with a narrow guipure?