Handkerchief

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

When it was established in 1830, the nation of Belgium encompassed some of the greatest lacemaking regions of Flanders. Thus, it is no surprise that some very fine laces were made as presentation pieces for Belgian royalty. This handkerchief, featuring both needle and bobbin lace, was made on the occasion of the wedding of Leopold, duke of Brabant (later King Leopold II of Belgium), and Marie-Henriette, archduchess of Austria, in 1853. Its design includes the arms of Belgium, the arms of Austria, and the initials L and M, entwined and surmounted by a crown. The point de gaze needle-lace inserts demonstrate an extraordinary mastery of the technique.

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The fifty thousand objects in the Museum's comprehensive and historically important collection of European sculpture and decorative arts reflect the development of a number of art forms in Western European countries from the early fifteenth through the early twentieth century. The holdings include sculpture in many sizes and media, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, metalwork and jewelry, horological and mathematical instruments, and tapestries and textiles. Ceramics made in Asia for export to European markets and sculpture and decorative arts produced in Latin America during this period are also included among these works.

Metropolitan Museum of Art