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Sample from 18th century |
 Alençon
Lace is a fine needlepoint lace made of linen thread. It took its name
from the French town of Alencon in Normandy France, where it was developed
by Marthe Laperriere. As a local needlewoman, she attempted to faithfully
reproduce Venetian lace, which was in high demand at that time. She was
inspired to improve upon the Venetian lace and with her help the unique
Alençon lace was developed. Another innovation credited to her was
the division of lacemaking tasks which allowed women to specialize in particular
aspects of the work thus working faster and better.
In 1665, the Minister of France, Colbert, attempted to stem the flow of imported Italian Lace and created the Royal Lace Manufactory in Alençon. He wanted Lace to become a direct copy of the Venetian Lace, still being imported at great expense, and brought 20 Italian Lace makers into town to teach secrets of their famous Lace to local women. The women of Alençon had a difficult transition, as the techniques of Venetian Lace were more difficult. The new Lace became known as point de France. Technically more demanding, this new Lace improved the skills of local women and when the making of Alençon lace resumed, its quality was magnified. |