Le Ténériffe or Bolivienne
   Loom Type:   Parallel
   Loom Mode:  Fixed pins

The origin of these looms is a mystery, and I can only find two references which mention them. Even the name is confusing; Le Ténériffe seems to be a generic term for all the looms. The name Bolivienne recalls similar nomenclature by the Mantz Frame Company of Perkin, Illinois (see their publication on Teneriffe and Brazilian Point Lace on this web site). They were obviously made in many different sizes, and I do have a photocopy of the original instruction sheet that probably was packaged with each loom.
Click here for the instruction sheet.

The devices are quite clever and complex in their manufacture, and the weak point in surviving pieces is the loose rivet that holds the movable arms on at the back. They are also often subject to rust and discoloration. Despite their visual appeal, removing the work is quite difficult even in the most extreme folded position. The threads always catch in the areas of the hinges, and this part of the looms cannot deform to loosen the web base.

I do not know who invented these. One card shown below demonstrates that they were sold at the Magasins du Louvre, but I believe they were also marked in the same form elsewhere. Cousine Claire in her Teneriffe Lace book mentions them, and may have had some role in their invention. They do seem to be patented, but I do not know how to search French patent databases on the web.

Questions
1. Who invented this loom and when? Can a company name be located?
2. Can the French patent be located?
3. How many forms were actually made?
4. How many were marketed, and how may were sold?
5. Track down the origin of the Brazilian and Bolivian references sometimes used in connection with Teneriffe lace. Nanduti is well known, but the others are not.

first posted 4/7/2009

References