VENETIAN LACE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6090, 29 January 1898, Page 3

VENETIAN LACE.

It is interesting to know something of the history of the lovely Venetian point lace we all admire so much. It is made by the fisher-women of Burano, Palestrina. Ciogga and other outlying islands in the lagunes. Burano, which is distant from Venice but an hour by steamer, gave its name to a point lace, which is now found nowhere else in, Buch perfection as in the place of its birth. For centuries there were families possessed of a skill and dexterity which could only come through generations of practice, families that possessed a monopoly of certain patterns which had been designed or first used by their ancestors, and which' by an unwritten law, became their exclusive property. A romantic story is told of the origin of the coral design. A pretty young lacemaker had a sailor lover, who brought to his sweatheart, among other gifts, shells and branches of coral. She arranged them on a shelf near where she worked, so that they were always before her eyes. From constantly gazing upon the coral its form became impressed upon her mind, so that she unconsciously worked it into hei lace. The industry has suffered many vicissitudes, and in the early part of this century the art of the Point Burano was well-nigh. lost. The Coiintess Marcello, however, a member of one of the oldest Venetian families, and other philanthropic persons <3arne to the rescue, and through their efforts the crisis was averted. At this juncture only one person, an old woman over seventy years of age, was found who knew tho stitches of the celebrated Point Burano. She was too old and infirm to teach, but as it was clearly impossible to let her die without imparting her knowledge to some one, Ime. Bellario dTSste, with wonderful patience and skill, worked and watched her until she had learned the stitches of the ancient time. She in turn became a teacher, and a lace school was established on the island, and girls, women, and children were encouraged to attend it. Its beginning was in 1872 ; it now numbers 350 pupils, and ie self-sup-porting. Queen Margharita, who has one of the finest collections of anticpie lace in the world, is much interested in the school, and is now one of its patronesses. She has lent many rare specimens to be copied. Tho pupils now make eight varieties of point lace in addition to the Point Burano with which they started ; they are given instruction in drawing with the hope of encouraging such as may have the ability for designing. A specialty at the present moment is a lace flounce, which is so shaped by the design that it needs-no fnlling when sewed on. No modern designs are used except it be for an order. Madame d'Este is still in=charge,.and the school is nourishing finely. On the wall of the principal room, hangs the portrait of Francesca Scarpariola, the old woman who might well be called the mother of the school; and there is also, a marble bast of the Countess Marcello, who lately died. The girls all wear white aprons and white oversleeves reaching to theelbows. The linen thread used for the point laces ie almost as fine as a cobweb, and consequently is very trying to the eyes. The work, however, is carried on in light and airy rooms, so that this ovilis reduced

I as much as possible.