Handkerchief

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The outstanding quality of this bleached linen handkerchief is evident in both the plain-weave central area and the border made in the Binche bobbin lace technique. The warp and weft threads of the central section were spun remarkably thin, with a low Z twist. The fibers are perfectly aligned parallel to each other, contributing to the exceptional quality of this fabric. A stronger thread, created by plying two highly twisted threads, was used for the lace.

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