Rosaline handkerchief

13.5" (35.29cm) square
Excellent condition, looks unused.

A Rosaline handkerchief. The design is rather chaotic and even experimental. The floral elements with raised edges, and the looped edges of motifs are typical of more traditional Rosaline, and there are interesting placements of bobbinlace fillings outside of the flowers. A few tallies are used in the flowers, and the connecting elements often form loops. There is no evidence of any needlelace work. It's a fascinating piece with fine technique and a real challenge for the eye.

A very similar piece is shown Pierre Verhaegen's "La Dentelle Belge" (1912), Fig. 3. The caption reads:
"Dentelle aux Fuseaux: Mouchoir en fine guipure (Genre guipure de Flandre), appelée parfois rosaline.]"
The 5-petaled flower plays a more prominent role in this piece.

accession number 2021.1.087
purchased 09/20/2021
first posted 12/25/2021