Bobbin lace: the art of embroidery

It is an ancient art that of bobbin lace, ancient. A technique passed down from generation to generation and a symbol of the culture and tradition of many Italian regions, starting with Molise. Here, even today, strolling through the streets of Isernia and the quaint alleys of Miranda, Ferrazzano, Tavenna, Sessano, and Bojano, you can admire the creation of exquisite lace, used to embellish blankets, sheets, as well as curtains, tablecloths, and centerpieces. The unique feature that contributes to making Isernia bobbin lace renowned worldwide is its use of a very fine, ivory-colored thread, produced in Molise.

THE ART OF BOBBIN LACE

Unique pieces crafted by hand with precision and patience. An art to be jealously guarded. And it is precisely to promote this special tradition worldwide that twenty-seven Italian municipalities, starting with Isernia (plus Varallo, Cuneo, Sampeyre, Cantù, Venice, Chioggia, Gorizia, Chiavari, Rapallo, Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure, Camogli, L'Aquila, Genoa, Bologna, Meldola, Orvieto, San Feliciano, a hamlet of the municipality of Magione, Offida, Latronico, Bolsena, Maglie, Forlì, Mirabella Imbaccari, Bosa, and the Mountain Union of the Municipalities of Valsesia), have signed a memorandum of understanding to support the candidacy of the Italian lace a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

DIOR: BOBBIN LACE

A noble and refined art: in the past, the precious laces made were used to decorate the bride's trousseauToday, the tradition of bobbin lace is among the most appreciated, even in the world of haute couture. The ancient bobbin lace technique has decorated some of the dresses in the collection. Dior Cruise 2021, presented in Piazza Duomo, Lecce, during the month of July 2020.

The butterflies, flowers and leaves made with bobbin lace by the embroiderer Marilena Sparasci, 74, and her small team, embellished a dress from the collection and the headdresses worn by the models. The creation of these jewels took up to fifteen hours of work per dayA tribute to Puglia's artisanal tradition and the great value of ancient crafts at risk of extinction.

Source images: Dior (Facebook)

HOW TO WORK WITH BOBBIN LAMB

As the name suggests, lace and embroidery are made using the bobbin lace tool, whose shapes and sizes vary depending on the different areas of Italy. Generally it is a circular-shaped drum resting on a special support, a wooden pedestal. The flattened shape is typical of Sansepolcro, in the province of Arezzo. Using this special padded drum-cushion, sometimes personalized with colorful fabrics, requires a great deal of patience and precision. It is on the drum that the lace design to be made. The lace weft is then worked with the bobbin around which the threads that make up the lace are twisted. The design is pinned to the bobbin using special pins. Once the work is finished, simply remove the pins to admire the resulting creation.

THE HISTORY OF BOBBIN LACE

The origins of this precious art are still not entirely clear. Generally, it tends to be traced back to 1400 the realization of the first bobbin lace In Molise, and tradition has it that in Isernia, it was the Spanish nuns of the Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria delle Monache who spread this art among their students. Over time, and lace after lace, each area of ​​Italy where this art was practiced, perhaps imported from the Flanders region, began to define its own technique compared to the others: thus the Cantù lace, Venice Point and bobbin lace from Scanno e Pescocostanzo, in Abruzzo.

THE ART OF BOBBIN LACE IN ITALY

Even the origin of the lace of Cantu, in Lombardy, can be traced back to a convent: it was made by the nuns of the Order of the Humiliate. With the skillful and expert use of bobbins and thread, they created decorations for the altar and the priests' vestments. Little by little, bobbin lace began to penetrate everyday life, decorating and embellishing clothing and accessories.

A CogneIn the Aosta Valley, the art of bobbin lace was imported from France way back in 1665: it was the Benedictine nuns from the Cluny monastery who spread and passed down the skillful interweaving of linen threads and bobbins. In particular, even today, Aosta Valley embroiderers continue to practice the technique known as "continuous thread." Unlike the traditional artisan method, this method does not start from a card with a pre-set lace design. For this very reason, it is a system that requires a great deal of practice, as well as patience and precision.

In Veneto, in BuranoAmong the characteristic houses painted in beautiful pastel colors, you can also glimpse the workshops where the art of embroidery is expertly crafted. A true journey through time, the "Lace Museum" opened in 1981 on the site of the historic "Burano Lace School," founded in 1872 to promote a centuries-old tradition. The archives of the old school, which contain documents and drawings, have been reorganized and cataloged. Inside the "Lace Museum," you can admire over 100 precious pieces from the school's rich collection, as well as notable examples of Venetian lace production from the 16th to the 20th century. Not to mention the opportunity to observe the embroiderers working lace firsthand.

Located in the centre of the Gulf of Tigullio, Rapallo, in the province of Genoa, Liguria, is famous not only for its breathtaking views, historic villas and palaces, but also for its history, closely tied to the art of bobbin lace. This tradition dates back to the 1500th century and is the origin of the famous "Punto Rapallo" lace, which requires a large number of bobbins and is characterized by the embroidery of rounded reliefs and small leaves. Genoa It is, however, famous for the “Genoa Point”, characterised, in this case too, by rosettes and small leaves.

And then there are the laces of Scanno, in Abruzzo: the first date back to 1700. Lace and embroidery that can be admired in the “Wool Museum” in via Calata Sant'Antonio, where objects, accessories and tools donated by the inhabitants of Scanno and dating back to the period between 1880 and 1930 are carefully preserved.

Strolling for OffidaIn the heart of the Marche region, before rushing to discover the almost rhythmic clicking of bobbins in the artisan workshops that make this village, one of the most beautiful in Italy, special, you can admire the Fontana delle Merlettaie (Fountain of the Lacemakers), depicting women busy working on bobbin lace. Here too, the origins of this precious craft date back to the 1400s, when Benedictine nuns and cloistered nuns established it. During the 1600th century, however, lacemaking became a true artisanal activity, with a flourishing production and a gradually growing trade. In 1910, the first lace school was founded in Offida.

Even in Calabria, the art of bobbin lace is a tradition with ancient roots, widespread everywhere and in particular in cropani, tiriolo, Gerace e San Giovanni in FioreLace is made using very thin silk or linen threads.

(In the image, a tablecloth made in the characteristic village of Cropani, in the province of Catanzaro, with the bobbin lace technique)

In Sicily, in Mirabella ImbaccariIn the province of Catania, bobbin lace has been crafted for over a century. This artisanal tradition is so ancient that it has earned this quaint village of nearly five thousand inhabitants the title of "City of Bobbin Lace." This is partly due to the initiative of a Catanian noblewoman, Baroness Angelina Auteri, who, following a miraculous recovery, decided to donate her entire estate to charity. In the early 1900s, the Opera del Tombolo was established, an association that taught this precious art. Since 1986, Mirabella Imbaccari has hosted a "Permanent Bobbin Lace Exhibition," where visitors can admire lace, as well as clothing and furnishings made with this technique, a symbol of local craftsmanship and distinguished by its tightly woven weave and the presence of curls and roses in the design.

A craft activity to be safeguarded The art of bobbin lace: a contribution comes from the courses held throughout Italy, where this precious craft is taught and promoted. No longer a legacy of a bygone era, but a precious treasure of ingenuity, creativity, and precision, to be jealously guarded.

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Source images: Don't waste (editorial staff), with the exception of the photos relating to the Dior Cruise 2021 Collection taken from Facebook page . of the House of Dior

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