Evening shawl

Rita de Acosta Lydig (1880-1929), a noted beauty and style icon of the early 20th century, collected antique textiles and lace, which she often incorporated into her wardrobe. Born in Spain, de Acosta Lydig attributed her love of lace to her aristocratic Spanish heritage. In this black lace shawl, the scrolling tendrils resemble the patterns seen in Fourth Style Roman wall paintings. Shawls of this type began to be made by machine in the mid 19th-century. Since much handwork was still needed to finish the pieces made by machine, it can be difficult to determine which were handmade and which were made by machine. This, however, is a handmade example.