Types of Lace: Art and Specialty Lace

Artistic and Specialty lace

Art nouveau at the beginning of the 20th century saw the development of artistic lace-making. Here, works of art serve as the patterns instead of the traditional prickings. The South Tyrolean artist Heiner Gschwendt and the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt, for example, provided numerous designs. Artistic lace-making does not necessarily follow a geometric form, but can break through it. Specialty lace therefore includes artistic motifs independent of the classical patterns, but also free-standing figurines.

This artistic bobbin lace shows a girl at bobbin lace school and was actually made by Aloisia Mairamhof during the bobbin lace course in Prettau.

Gustav Klimt's painting "The Woman" served as a model for this lace by Antonia Rubner.

This artistic bobbin lace by Antonia Rubner shows two bobbin lace students at the Prettau bobbin lace school.

To make the bobbin lace figurines in this nativity group, Rita Griessmair used all four basic stitches and worked with linen and Lyonese thread. Sewing the figurines together is also very time-consuming.

The municipality of Prettau commissioned Notburga Mair Kofler to make this lace. Heiner Gschwendt provided the drawing. Adam and Eve can be seen in the middle with the apple tree and the snake, animals circle around them on the outside.

For her work, "The Village Square", the then lace-making teacher Antonia Rubner needed seven months and received an award from the Province of Bolzano for her "outstanding quality craftsmanship".

The bobbin lace shows the coat of arms of the municipality of Prettau with the mining symbol of the crossed tools (hammer and iron) and the mountain peaks symbolising the three-thousand-metre peaks surrounding the village.

The artistic bobbin lace by Antonia Rubner shows the little church of Heilig Geist (Kasern).

Artistic lace as a Christmas decoration.

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