Border

17th century

Not on view

Punto in aria—literally, "stitches in the air"—is one of the earliest styles of needle lace, which is itself developed from cutwork of primarily geometric design. When lacemakers transitioned to using a foundation of threads laid out according to a pattern drawn on parchment, they were able to incorporate more fluid lines and curves into their designs.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Title: Border
Date: 17th century
Culture: Spanish
Medium: Needle lace, punto in aria
Dimensions: L. 15 x W. 6 inches (38.1 x 15.2 cm)
Classification: Textiles-Laces
Credit Line: Anonymous Gift, 1879
Object Number: 79.1.202
Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

In the same medium

From the same time and place

Rapier, Steel, blade, Spanish, Toledo; hilt, European, possibly Spanish — Rapier
blade, Spanish, Toledo; hilt, European, possibly Spanish
blade, ca. 1635; hilt, late 17th century

Border, Needle lace, gros point lace, Italian, Venice — Border
Italian, Venice
17th century

Self-Portrait, Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes) Spanish, Brush and point of brush, carbon black ink — Self-Portrait
Draftsman Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes)
Sitter Goya (Francisco de Goya y Lucientes)
ca. 1796

Border, Needle lace, point de France, French — Border
French
18th century

Pair of Stirrups, Iron alloy, Spanish — Pair of Stirrups
Spanish
late 16th century–early 17th century

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.