Flounce

This flounce is in the style of 18th-century French point d'Argentan lace. However, it dates from the 1880s. The Burano Lace School copied it from a high-quality historical piece. The school was established on the island of Burano outside Venice for charitable reasons and with royal patronage after the severe winter of 1872. The Venetian lagoon froze and the communities dependent on fishing were badly affected. The school revived the skill that had made Venice the major producer of needle lace in the 16th and 17th centuries. It produced lace of every sort, and its lacemakers faithfully copied high-quality historical pieces, like this flounce. By the 1890s the school was also making lace in contemporary style. It continued to produce pieces of style and quality well into the 20th century.