Kerchief

Eighteenth century women of all classes wore kerchiefs around their neck for protection and modesty, but for the wealthy or extravagant, this accessory provided another opportunity for the display of costly lace. For fashionable English women in the 1730s and 1740s the choice was almost always Brussels bobbin lace. This period saw a boom in the wearing of lace, for both men and women, decorating all types of clothing.

This kerchief is composed of lace from at least two different sources, including a pair of lappets. Lappets formed part of a head dress, known as a 'lace head' in the 18th century. It was composed of a curved panel, the cap back, to which two long streamers were attached called lappets. The whole ensemble was finished with a lace frill.

The fragility of lace led it to be easily damaged, but its intrinsic worth meant that it would never be discarded, but remade in a different form. Brussels bobbin lace was particularly suitable for this, as, by the nature of its manufacture, it was composed of parts which could be separated and rejoined, although this was rarely done as skillfully as when it was originally made. This kerchief may have been made up for the collectors' market in the nineteenth century.