100

HISTORY OF LACE.

5. Fomieuse (grondwerkes) is charged with the open work(jours) in the plat.

6. Jointeuse, or attacheuse (lashwerkes), unites the differentsections of the ground together.

7. Striqueuse, or appliqueuse (strikes), is charged with thesewing (application) of the flowers upon the ground.

The pattern is designed by the head of the manufactory, who,having cut the parchment into pieces, hands it out ready pricked.The worker has no reflections to make, no combinations to study.The whole responsibility rests with the master, who selects theground, chooses the thread, and alone knows the effect to beproduced by the whole. (Coloured Hate V.)

The lace industry of Brussels is now divided into two branches,the making of detached sprigs, either point or pillow, for appli-cation upon the net ground, and the modern “ point gaze.” Thefirst is the Brussels lace “ par excellence,” and more of it is pro-duced than of any other kind. Of late years, it has been greatlyimproved, by mixing point and pillow-made flowers. Point gazeis so called from its gauze-like needle ground, “ fond gaze,” com-prised of very fine, round meshes, with needle-made flowers, madesimultaneously with the ground, by means of the same thread, asin the old Brussels. It is made in small pieces, the joiningconcealed by small sprigs or leaves, after the manner of theold point, the same lace-worker executing the whole strip frombeginning to end. Point gaze is now brought to the highestperfection, and is remarkable for the precision of the work,the variety and richness of the “jours,” and the clearness of theground. In appearance, it somewhat resembles point d’Alenqon,but the work is less elaborate and less solid. 'When flowers bothof needle point and pillow lace are introduced upon the “fondgaze,” it is erroneously termed “point de Venise.”

Brussels was a favoured lace at the court of the First Empire. 35When Napoleon and the Empress Marie Louise made their firstpublic entry into the Belgian capital, they gave large orders foralbs of the richest point, destined as a present for the Pope. The

35 Tlie veil presented by the city of upon the ground. The texture of theBrussels to the Empress Josephine was resiau was exquisitely fine. In eachsold in 1816, by Eugene Beauharnais, to corner was the imperial crown and cypher,Lady Jane Hamilton. It is described to encircled with wreaths of flowers. Thishave been of such ample dimensions chef-d’oeuvre of art passed into thethat, when placed on Lady Jane’s head, possession of Lady Jane’s daughter, thewho was upwardsof 6 feet high, it trained Iluchesse de Coignv.