PORTUGAL.

85

The nuns of Odivales were, till the dissolution of the monas-teries, famed for their lace fabricated of the fibre of the aloe.

Pillow lace was made at Madeira some fifty years ago. Thecoarse kind, a species of dentelle torchon, served for trimmingpillow-cases and sheets—“ seaming lace,” as it was called (Fig. 43).Sometimes the threads of the linen were drawn after the mannerof cutwork; but the manufacture had entirely ceased till withinthese last fifteen years, when it was re-established by Mrs. Bay-man. There are now seven families employed in the fabricationof Maltese lace, which is made almost entirely by men; thewomen occupy themselves in the open-work embroidery of muslin.

Brazil makes a coarse narrow pillow lace for home consump-tion (Fig. 44).

Fig. 44.

Brazilian lace, pillow-made.

EglflES

.V ••

The republics of Central and South America show indicationsof lace-making, consisting chiefly of darned netting aud drawnwork, the general characteristics of the lace of those countries.The lace-bordered handkerchiefs of Brazil, and the productionsof Venezuela, with the borders of the linen trousers of theGuachos, and the Creva lace of the blacks of the province ofMinas Geraes, are the finest specimens of drawn work. The laceof Chili is of the old lozenge pattern, and men also appear to beemployed there in the work. That from Paraguay is likewisemade on the pillow ; all traditions of the European missionariesand traders who first colonised the country.