Band with Scroll Pattern

16th century

Band with Scroll Pattern, 16th century. Italy, Sicily, 16th century. Needle lace, burato (twined ground and darned in one direction); bleached linen (est.); overall: 14.7 x 388.3 cm (5 13/16 x 152 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of J. H. Wade 1921.1139 A scrolling vine with budding vegetation or a tendril is a recurring pattern in needle lace. The frequent use of the motif, adapted in lace from different centuries and regions, suggests that it was found in a pattern book. Here, the pattern is excessively ornate with additional swirling motifs and flourishing vases. Books of patterns for lace making and other needlework were aimed at well-to-do women and girls to encourage domestic virtue.