82

HISTORY OF LACE.

with broad fine lace. She had ‘ lasses ’ all of flowers of point deSpain in silk and gold, which looked very pretty.” 26

The finest specimen of Spanish work exhibited in 18G2 was amantilla of white blonde, the ground a light guipure, the patternwreaths of flowers supported by Cupids.

Before concluding our account of Spanish lace, we must alludeto the “ dentelles de Moresse,” supposed by M. Francisque Michel 27to be of Iberian origin, fabricated by the descendants of theMoors who remained in Spain and embraced Christianity. Thesepoints are named in the before-mentioned “Revolte des Passe-mens,” where the author thus announces their arrival at the fair

of Saint-Germain:—

“ II en vint que, le plus souvent,

On disoit venir du Levant;

II en vint des bords de l'lbfere,

II en vint d’arriver n’agueresDes pays septentrionaux.”

What these points were, it would be difficult to state: in theinventory of Henry VIII. is marked down, “a purle of moriscowork.”

One of the pattern books gives on its title-page—

“ Dantique et RoboesqueEn comprenant anssi Moresque.”

A second speaks of “Morescki et arabeseke.” 28 A third isentitled, “ Un livre de moresque 29 a fourth, “ Un livre defeuillages entrelatz et ouvrages moresques.” 30 All we can say onthe subject is—that the making cloths of chequered lace formedfor a time the favourite employment of Moorish maidens, andthey are still to be purchased, yellow with age, in the Africancities of Tangier and Tetuan. They may be distinguished fromthose worked by Christian fingers by the absence of all animalsin the pattern, the representation of living creatures, either inpainting, sculpture, or embroidery, being strictly forbidden bythe Mahommedan law.

28 1678. “ On met de la dentelle brodee Soie etc. pendant le Moyen Age.”

de couleur de points d’Espagno aux Paris, 1839.

jupes .”—Mercure Galant. 28 Taglienti, Venice, 1530.

21 “ Recherches sur le Commerce, la 28 Paris, 1546.

Fabrication et l’Usage des Etoffes de 30 Pelegrin de Florence, Paris, 1530.