Lace Scarf (c. 1910–23): Art, History and Details

Lace Scarf (c. 1910–23) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

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

This strip of lace is unusual for being worked entirely in abacá fiber, a material more commonly associated with cordage, woven textiles, and ceremonial cloth. Abacá’s natural stiffness and high tensile strength make it a challenging medium for techniques that require tight looping or knotting, such as lace making. This object reflects a hybrid craft tradition in which imported techniques were executed using local fibers.

Object facts

• Title: Lace Scarf
• Date: c. 1910–23
• Culture: Philippines
• Type: Knitting
• Technique: abacá fiber(?); knitted
• Dimensions: Overall: 121.9 x 14 cm (48 x 5 1/2 in.)
• Collection: T - Lace
• Department: Textiles
• Accession number: 1923.864

A detail from the museum

This object was likely produced where abacá was abundant and lace making was introduced through convents or mission schools—perhaps the Eastern Visayas or Bicol regions of the Philippines.

Collection credit

Gift of Miss Myrta Jones

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.