LACE AND LACE-MAKING. 



529 



AlenQon point which cost Y0,000 francs ($14,000). Among the orders 

 of the emperor in 1856 were the curtains of the imperial infant's cradle, 

 of needle-point, and a satin-lined Alen^on coverlet ; christening robe, 

 mantle, and head-dress, of Alen^on ; twelve dozen embroidered frocks 

 profusely trimmed with Alen(,-on ; and lace-trimming for the aprons 

 of the imperial nurses. The finest Alengon point is now made at 

 Bayeux. 



Argentan is another town in France celebrated for its point-lace, 

 which was not inferior in beauty to that of Alengon. The flowers of 



Fig. 5. ALEN90N Bed made for Napoleon I. 



point d' Argentan, as seen in Fig. 6, are large and bold, in high-relief, 

 on a clear compact ground, with a large, six-sided mesh. This ground 

 was made by passing the needle and thread around pins pricked into 

 a parchment pattern, and the six sides were worked over with seven or 

 eight button-hole stitches on each side. It is called the grande bride 

 ground, and is very strong. 



While it is clear that France derived the art of making Alengon 

 point from Italy, yet, along with all the countries of Northern Europe, 

 Germany, and England, she is in the main indebted to Flanders for 

 her knowledge of the art of lace-making. Flanders, as well as Italy, 



VOL. VIII. 34 



