Handkerchief

Convent of Notre Dame de Visitation

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

While most lace handkerchiefs consist of a woven fabric with a wide lace border, this example is made entirely of bobbin lace, a specialty of the Convent of Notre Dame de Visitation in Ghent. In 1852 Sister Marie-Joseph patented a new style of lace, now called Ghent Lace with Varied Ground, making it possible to employ workers of varying skill levels and to assemble large pieces quickly using motifs that could be prepared ahead of time. The use of the royal monogram of King Leopold II and the repetition of the crown motif suggest that this handkerchief was made in celebration of his ascent to the throne in 1865. It may have been a presentation piece for his wife, Marie-Henriette, who was a patroness of both the convent and the Belgian lace industry.

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The fifty thousand objects in the Museum's comprehensive and historically important collection of European sculpture and decorative arts reflect the development of a number of art forms in Western European countries from the early fifteenth through the early twentieth century. The holdings include sculpture in many sizes and media, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, metalwork and jewelry, horological and mathematical instruments, and tapestries and textiles. Ceramics made in Asia for export to European markets and sculpture and decorative arts produced in Latin America during this period are also included among these works.

Metropolitan Museum of Art