Cluny Lace


Cluny lace takes its name from a collection of 16th century Genoese laces preserved at the Cluny Museum (Musee de Cluny) in Paris. These laces inspired the prolific French lacemakers of the 19th century to imitate the patterns and create a ‘new’ continuous lace. The lacemakers usually chose to make Cluny in coarse linen threads and this made quite a hard-wearing lace which was then used to trim household items such as table cloths, bed linens and curtains. Although the lace originated in Genoa, it is unlike typical Genoese and Maltese laces and uses a 6 pin border instead of a 9 pin and incorporates a distinctive twisted footside. The basic design is a geometric plait with the ground made of plaited bars of brides. The result is similar to Bedfordshire lace but it actually necessitates a different technique to English Bedfordshire lace for crossing the plaits. The opaque sections are created with a wholestitch and halfstitch or a wholestitch and twist. The designs within the plait are mostly geometric but for decoration the worker might add some small picots or point d’esprit.

The Cluny is a much-loved lace pattern and lacemakers are keen to keep the pattern alive. The Cluny Lace Co. Ltd has been making the lace on machine since 1845 and has built up a data bank of hundreds of lace patterns. The machines produce some exquisite designs of Cluny style lace allovers, edgings and insertions. However there is something about the light and open effect of handmade Cluny lace that cannot be captured except through the painstaking process of tatting. French lacemakers can still be found making Cluny patterns and today there is a modern centre for Cluny lace at Le Puy in France. There they have established a thriving lace school, museum and shop. For further information, contact The Belgian Lace School La Dentelle, 1, Rue Raphael, 43000 Le Puy en Velay, France.