POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Notes

Named for the area in Slovenia where the style originally developed, this bobbin lace doily worked in cotton tape by an unknown maker in 2002, is known as Idrija lace. Mirjam Gnezda, curator at the Idrija Municipal Museum describes the lace as "good quality, some elements are very precisely made (eg. Tallies - little flowers with leaves). ……the motifs are old, that means they were typical for Idrija lace of the first period (1870-1920). It is made of broad tape or string. The main motif in the middle is composed by four mushrooms and the lace is called 'globe', which means 'mushrooms' in translation. It is known that those patterns were drawn by natives and the names were given to them by lacemakers. Around the mushrooms we can see another motif called 'rogljicki' (weaving tape or string) that are often made in combination with others." Bobbin lace or pillow lace is identified by the way it is made on a firm pillow where a pricked out pattern is tacked and each twist of bobbin is held in place by a pin. It is a free-form weaving process incorporating the basic moves of crossing, twisting and braiding of threads that can be executed in an infinite number of variations. Typical of Idrija lace is the use of continuous tape through the design with motifs connected with lattice work of brides or other elements. Originally, only white linen or cotton thread was used. Coloured thread was introduced much later. Originating in the Goriska region of Slovenia, Idrija is the site of the world's second largest mercury mine in the world. In operation for over 500 years, the mine played a major role in the development of Idrija as an important lacemaking centre in Slovenia. It is thought foreign workers and their families from Germany and Czechoslovakia brought with them handcraft skills which the wives used to supplement low wages, beginning a tradition in lacemaking that has survived for over 300 years. Idrija is now recognised globally as the premier bobbin lacemaking centre in Slovenia. The oldest documents referencing lacemaking in the Idrija region date back to 1696. Lace trading or 'peddling' was an important commercial proposition with merchants selling small goods including lace, known at that time as 'Idrianische Spitze'. Peddling was associated with the smuggling of lace up until after Word War ll. Lace trading was conducted by private merchants who established home manufacturing in the latter half of the 19th century. The manufacturer provided the lacemaker with material and purchased the finished product at a low price. After World War ll, lacemaking was managed by large state owned companies. Influenced by market demands, trading significantly impacted the development of lacemaking in Slovenia. Commercial considerations resulted in changes in technique and appearance of Idrija lace. Mass production resulted in simplified, plain designs which were faster to implement, requiring only 5 pairs of bobbins compared with dozens or several hundred needed for intricate patterns. Originally, Idrija lace was worked continuously in metre pieces as trimming for clothing, household textiles and ecclesiastical robes and accoutrements. The church was the greatest consumer of Idrija lace until the beginning of the 20th century. By the 19th century, the lace was worked in parts (non-continuous lace) and by the 1970s, tape lace worked in parts gained widespread recognition throughout Europe. The Ministry of Trade in Vienna opened the first official lacemaking school in Idrija. The school has been operating continuously since 1876. From 1974, the Idrija Lace School was amalgamated with the Secondary School Jurij Vega to educate school children and adults in lacemaking techniques. Previously lacemaking knowledge had been passed down from generation to generation. The domestic market includes everyday linen, clothing, ecclesiastical robes, church linen, bridal trousseaus, national costume and head dresses, earrings and necklaces. W Circosta 2010 References: Krivec, Rajmund. Idrija: A heritage of mercury mining and lace making, www.-fl.ijs.si, 2007 retrieved 15/11/2010 Skaarhog, Kaspar. Idrija lace - beauty created with needle, bobbin and thread,, www.slovenia.si, 2009, retrieved 15/11/2010 Wagner and Associates, The Town that Quicksilver built - Ljublhana Life Magazine, www.slovenia-life-com, 2009, retrieved 15/11/2010