Border with Mounted and Standing Figures, Chariots, and Animals

19th century

Border with Mounted and Standing Figures, Chariots, and Animals, 19th century. Spain ?, 19th century. Needle lace, filet/lacis (knotted ground and darned in two directions); bleached linen (est.); overall: 76.2 x 219.1 cm (30 x 86 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Florence A. Hamilton 1939.453 Animals viewed in profile, some with their legs raised, indicate movement, such as a parade or procession. The human figures are also shown in profile, with the exception of the central figure riding a chariot, who is shown frontally. There is one figure riding a donkey, with another on horseback, holding a sword. On the far right, a man and woman appear engaged in conversation. Meanwhile, various animals fill the space defying all rules of perspective, with the bird in the center appearing larger than some of the humans. The word lace derives from the Latin laqueus, meaning noose.