 Antwerp pot lace (Potten Kant) | |
| Type | Lace |
|---|---|
| Production method | Bobbin lace |
| Production process | Craft production |
| Place of origin | Antwerp, Belgium |
| Introduced | 16th century |
Antwerp lace is a bobbin lace distinguished by stylized flower pot motifs on a six point star ground. It originated in Antwerp, where in the 17th century an estimated 50% of the population of Antwerp was involved in lace making. Antwerp lace is also known, from its familiar repeated motif, as Pot Lace— in Dutch Pottenkant or Potten Kant.[1][2] It is sometimes said that the flowers were a depiction of the Annunciation lilies;[2] however, the flowers were not limited to lilies.[3]
It is a continuous lace, meaning that it was made in one piece on a lace pillow, using the same threads in the pattern as in the ground, or réseau.[4][5] Antwerp lace is very similar to Mechlin lace, which was also made in Antwerp. Antwerp lace is heavier and sturdier than Mechlin lace.[1] It has a cordonnet, or a flat thread outlining the pattern, just as Mechlin lace does. The cordonnet was very strong and rather coarse.[3] Antwerp lace was also similar to Binche lace in its cordonnet.[2] The réseau or ground for Antwerp lace varies from the same hexagonal ground as Mechlin lace to a tessellation-pattern featuring a six-pointed star.
- ^ a b Earnshaw, Pat (February 1999). A Dictionary of Lace. Dover Publications. p. 6. ISBN 0-486-40482-X. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
- ^ a b c Blum, Clara (June 2002). Old World Lace: A Concise Illustrated Guide. Dover. pp. 37–39. ISBN 0-486-42150-3. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
- ^ a b "Mechlin and Antwerp" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2004-02-25. Retrieved 2005-06-13.
- ^ Sharp, Mary (March 2007). Point and Pillow Lace. Herron Press. p. 147. ISBN 978-1-4067-4562-7. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
- ^ Earnshaw, Pat (February 1999). A Dictionary of Lace. Dover Publications. p. 13. ISBN 0-486-40482-X. Retrieved 2008-05-20.