Lace of Alençon

The lace of Alençon is a Dentelle originating in the town of Alençon.

Sometimes called the “queen of lace”, the lace of Alençon begins at the 15th century in a competition with the “point from Venice”. About the years 1660, Marthe the Stone quarry invents the “Point of Alençon” which obtains Colbert then a privilege of royal Manufacture. The “point of Alençon”, whose secrecy was a long time jealously kept, is a lace the needle-point characterized by a network of buckled meshs, points of imagination called “modes”, embroider (wire wicks covered with tight points of festoon forming the reliefs) covered with tight points of buttonhole and, after 1775, sometimes made hair of horse. The network of buckled meshs is developed towards 1690, but is not called “not Alençon” only towards 1720. Starting from 1855 appear the reasons shades (series of more or less tight points so as to obtain an effect of obscure light).

The industry of the lace of Alençon, which is, since the 18th century, most prestigious and most expensive of laces, knew since its creation an increasing vogue until the decline of this industry at the beginning of the 20th century under the competition of mechanical lace. Today, the national Workshop of the point of Alençon preserves and transmits, under the aegis of the Ministère of the Culture, the tradition and the technique of this particular lace point all while endeavouring to renew the technique of it by transplanting the characteristics of the “Point of Alençon” on new materials and by creating new ranges of derivative products.

Reference

Gérasime Bonnaire Despierres, History of the point of Alençon, since its origin until our days , Paris, Renouard, H. Laurens, 1886

External bond

Museum of the Art schools and the Lace of Alençon

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