Fragment (of a Band?) with Floral Pattern (1500s): Art, History and Details

Fragment (of a Band?) with Floral Pattern (1500s) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Lace was often used in large quantities to produce opulent effects of light and contrasting texture. Bands of this width may have originally adorned a woman’s skirt or petticoat, heightening the design and overall impact with its rich floral pattern.

Object facts

• Title: Fragment (of a Band?) with Floral Pattern
• Date: 1500s
• Culture: Italy
• Type: Lace
• Technique: Bleached linen (est.): needle lace, filet/lacis (knotted ground and darned in two directions)
• Dimensions: Overall: 10.7 x 15.4 cm (4 3/16 x 6 1/16 in.)
• Collection: T - Lace
• Department: Textiles
• Accession number: 1920.1128

A detail from the museum

This small fragment was apparently cut from a much larger piece, perhaps originally decorating a woman’s dress.

Collection credit

Gift of J. H. Wade

Further reading listed by the museum

• Levey, Santina M. Lace: A History. [London]: Victoria & Albert Museum, 2004.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.