Church Lace


The Catholic Church was the first patron of lace making in Europe and the finest existing samples both of early and late work were made for use in the church. The beautiful hand worked lace, which became so popular from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries, had its roots in the work done by the monks and nuns kept in religious orders. As far back as the thirteenth century there is a caution written in The ‘Ancien Riwle’ against nuns who devote too much time to lace and ornamental work when they should be serving the poor. Some of the earliest known specimens of lace-worked linen are those preserved at St Clare’s convent, Assisi, Italy. There is a remarkable ‘alb’ of hand-woven linen – a garment worn around the neck - worked by St Clare of Assisi and her nuns in the fifteenth century and said to have been worn by St Francis himself. Also surviving is a six-foot strip of lace and linen, which was probably worked by the nuns as a lectern cover.

Like so much on the collectors’ market, the bulk of church lace available is from the 19th century. However this period did yield some fantastic pieces. While machine made lace was destroying the art of handmade lace across the world, the tradition was still very much alive in various convents, especially in Ireland. Lectern covers, vestments, chasuble stoles, maniples and chalice veils were all needed for ornamentation and preservation of church items and the detail and care with which they were worked is a remarkable testimony to the zeal and devotion their makers. But the Catholic church was mindful that the ornamentation did not get out of hand and there were rules that stipulated that fabric in church should have the major part of linen and any lace border or flounce should be no more than 12 inches thick. A typical example offered for sale would be the Catholic Mass Handmade Lace Altar Border I saw advertised for $400. Made by the Sisters of Notre Dame this was 36 feet long and a fantastic example of the care and labour lavished on religious items. Smaller 19th century items, such as chalice veils, will sell for approximately $50-$100 depending on condition.