Item 26-282

This is a beautiful and rather unusual example of decorative filet lace with silk ribbon embroidery, dating from approximately 1890–1915. 

It combines several textile techniques to create an elegant, softly coloured trim that would have adorned a fashionable garment or luxurious household furnishing.

The foundation is filet lace, a knotted or woven square mesh that has been embroidered with geometric floral motifs. The four-petalled flowers are worked in satin stitches over the mesh, while the surrounding openwork creates a pleasing contrast of solid and transparent areas. 

What makes this piece especially distinctive is the addition of pastel silk ribbon weaving. Narrow ribbons in soft shades of pink, pale blue, cream, and olive green have been threaded through open channels in the lace to create decorative bands. These gentle colours were particularly fashionable during the Belle Époque, when pastel trims adorned lingerie, tea gowns, boudoir accessories, and nursery furnishings.

The trim is quite wide and appears to have been made as a decorative border rather than an edging. It may originally have been used on:

• A tea gown or dressing gown

• A petticoat or lingerie ensemble

• A decorative pillow or bolster cover

• A dressing-table runner

• A christening robe or baby’s coverlet

• A curtain or pelmet in a fashionable bedroom

The combination of lace and woven ribbon reflects the influence of Art Nouveau design, with its flowing lines and soft colour palette. Ribbon weaving became especially popular in France and Belgium around the turn of the 20th century, transforming relatively simple lace into something much more luxurious.