Lacemakers throughout the centuries have found creative ways to represent the world around them in their work. Using only the most basic of tools, such as needles and wooden bobbins, they have knotted, looped, and twisted single strands of thread to conjure birds, animals, and human figures.
Not content with just depicting reality, lacemakers have also been inspired by the imaginary world of fables, fairy tales, and mythology. On occasion, they have even hidden messages in their work by using symbolic animals, or symbolic humans, to convey forbidden meanings. The examples explored here show a few of the techniques used and some of the ways that stories can be told with thread.
Lacemaking developed in the sixteenth century, and figural representations appear from the beginning. Figures can be found in…
