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HISTORY OF LACE.
The year 1647 was a great epoch in the lace-making ofJutland. A merchant named Steenbeck, taking a great interestin the fabric, engaged twelve persons from Dortmund, in West-phalia, to improve the trade, and settled them at Tonder, to teachthe manufacture to both men and women, rich and poor. Thesetwelve persons are described as aged men, with long beards, which,while making lace, they gathered into bags, to prevent the hairfrom becoming entangled among the bobb.ns. The manufacturesoon made great progress under their guidance, and extended tothe south-western part of Ribe, and to the island of Romo. 4 Thelace was sold by means of “ lace postmen,” as they were termed,who carried their wares throughout all Scandinavia and part offlermany.
Christian IY. protected the native manufacture, and in the actof 1643, 5 “ lace and such like pin work ” are described as luxuriousarticles, not allowed to be imported of a higher value than fiveshillings and sixpence the Danish ell. 6 A later ordinance, 1683,mentions “ white and black lace which are manufactured in thiscountry,” and grants permission to the nobility to wear them.' 1
Christian IV. did not patronise foreign manufactures. “ TheKing of Denmark,” writes Moryson, “ wears but little gold lace,and sends foreign apparel to the hangman to be disgraced, whenbrought in by gentlemen.”
About the year 1712 the lace manufacture again was muchimproved by the arrival of a number of Brabant women, whoaccompanied the troops of King Frederick IY. on their returnfrom the Netherlands, 8 and settled at Tonder. We have receivedfrom Jutland, through the kind exertions of 31 r. Rudolf Bay, ofAalborg, a series of Tonder laces, taken from the pattern booksof the manufacturers. The earlier specimens are all of Flemishcharacter. There is the old Flanders lace, with its Dutch flowersand grounds in endless variety. The Brabant, with reseau ground,the flowers and “jours” well executed. Then follow 7 the Mechlingrounds, the patterns worked with a coarser thread, in many,
4 Rtvwert’s “ Report upon the Industryin the Kingdom of Denmark,” 1848.
8 “ The Great Recess.”
* Two-thirds of a yard.
’ Dated XG43.
8 “ Tender lace, fine and middling,made in the districts of Lygum Kloster,keeps all the peasant girls employed.
Thereof is exported to the German mar-kets and the Baltic, it is supposed, formore than 100,000 rixdollars (11,1101.),and the fine thread must be had fromthe Netherlands, and sometimes costs100 rixdollars per lb.” — Pontoppulan,Economical Balance, 1759.