Textile, lace (Textile sample)

Description

This lace sample is an example of Tenerife, or sol, lace, which is woven on a circular handheld loom. The loom is “warped” with string or crochet cotton, then a design is woven back and forth between the warp using another decorative thread, such as pearl cotton. The resulting square or circular motifs can then be joined together to fashion household accessories such as tablecloths, bedspreads, or scarves. In this example, just four of the motifs are sewn together. This sample was made using a loom manufactured in the early 1940s by the Chicago-based company K. and K. Products, who marketed it as “Polka Spider-Web” lace. The loom, a booklet of patterns, and a large tablecloth made with the loom are also in Winterthur’s collection: see objects 2017.0019.112.001-.003. This object is one of a large group transferred to Winterthur from the American Textile History Museum when it closed in 2017.