Lace in Flanders: History and Contemporary Art

"The charm of lace in portraits of royalty and nobility, the clergy and the bourgeoisie is still a source of amazement. Pieces of lace from the past evoke wonder and admiration. The artistic and technical skill of their makers was sublime. As a spider weaves its web, fairy hands magically interlaced sober threads into refined transparency. Lace captivates, entrances and amazes, and does this still. It provides a peaceful space in the hectic, technologically-led, stressed and unsure world of today. Now, more than ever, people seek ways to express themselves in refinement and sensuality. Lace is an immensely attractive medium for those who value beauty. Lace in jewellery, handbags, lingerie, evening and bridal wear, shoes, and in interiors - these historical uses have been given a new look. However, this contemporary textile art, surprising and fresh, includes autonomous objects without function, little pearls of refinement, whether with a message or humour or not. Lace can be a pinnacle of expression, a monumental object which raises issues or releases emotions. The techniques are preserved but also updated and cast into a contemporary form. This book shows that the magic lace still lives and entices." - Martine Bruggeman.

Martine Bruggeman has written numerous books on the history of lace, and has published 30 lace pattern books. She has curated exhibitions at the Lace Center in Bruges, where she also teaches.