Lace

Among the many outstanding textile collections in the V&A, hand-made lace is one of the most exquisite. The collection is comprehensive in its coverage of the technique over more than three hundred years, whether the delicate geometric perfection favoured by Elizabethan courtiers, or the bold floral exuberance of the Victorian age. Clare Browne has selected 100 examples across this range of designs and fashions in lace, to demonstrate the variety, skill and beauty lace makers have achieved in their work.
Details have all been specially photographed, and the result is a feast for the eye as well as a survey of exquisite craftsmanship. This book will be additionally valuable as a record of important parts of a collection which by its nature is too fragile to be kept on permanent display, and offers a wide-ranging survey of the art and craft of lace making down the ages.