Binche lace is a type of

bobbin lace Bobbin lace is a lace textile made by braiding and twisting lengths of thread, which are wound on bobbins to manage them. As the work progresses, the weaving is held in place with pins set in a lace pillow, the placement of the pins usually de ...

that originated in the town of

Binche Binche (; wa, Bince; Dutch: ''Bing'') is a city and municipality from Wallonia, in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. Since 1977, the municipality consists of Binche, Bray, Buvrinnes, Épinois, Leval-Trahegnies, Péronnes-lez-Binche, Ressaix, a ...

, Belgium. It is continuous, meaning it is made all at once, in one piece. It is generally made in strips 2 inches (5 cm) wide. Though typically it has no cordonnet outlining the design against the

ground Ground may refer to: Geology * Land, the surface of the Earth not covered by water * Soil, a mixture of clay, sand and organic matter present on the surface of the Earth Electricity * Ground (electricity), the reference point in an electrical c ...

, occasional pieces are made with a very fine one, about the same thickness as the thread used in the pattern. The pattern in Binche lace is very detailed, with animal scenes and figures. Binche lace is sometimes known as "Fairy lace".

History

Tradition says that Binche lace was started in the 15th century by lacemakers that moved to Binche from

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded i ...

with

Mary of Burgundy Mary (french: Marie; nl, Maria; 13 February 1457 – 27 March 1482), nicknamed the Rich, was a member of the House of Valois-Burgundy who ruled a collection of states that included the duchies of Limburg, Brabant, Luxembourg, the counties of ...

, however there is no proof for this legend. However, Binche lace was being made by the end of the 16th century. In 1585, when the river

Scheldt The Scheldt (french: Escaut ; nl, Schelde ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to ...

was closed to shipping, Binche did not suffer a decline in its lacemaking as did others up the river such as

Antwerp lace Antwerp lace is a bobbin lace distinguished by stylized flower pot motifs on a six point star ground. It originated in Antwerp, where in the 17th century an estimated 50% of the population of Antwerp was involved in lace making. Antwerp lace is al ...

. Binche lace was the subject of a royal edict in 1686, which implies that the lace must have been fairly important. The heyday of Binche lace was in the 18th century, when it was popular in Parisian circles. It began to die out at the end of the 18th century, and was not made much during or after the 19th century. In 1862

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

mentioned Binche lace as the material of Cosette's wedding gown in ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...

'', as he remembered it from his youth as being a lace of great beauty. The quality of Binche lace declined at the end of the 18th century, with the lace becoming coarser and the patterns less detailed. Originally Binche lace resembled

Valenciennes lace Valenciennes lace is a type of bobbin lace which originated in Valenciennes, in the Nord département of France, and flourished from about 1705 to 1780."Valenciennes." ''The Oxford English Dictionary''. 2nd ed. 1989. Later production moved to Bel ...

."Binche." ''The Oxford English Dictionary''. 2nd ed. 1989. In the 20th century there was another lace called Binche lace, that consisted of bobbin-made patterns sewn onto machine-made net, like

Brussels lace Brussels lace is a type of pillow lace that originated in and around Brussels."Brussels." ''The Oxford English Dictionary''. 2nd ed. 1989. The term "Brussels lace" has been broadly used for any lace from Brussels; however, strictly interpreted, ...

. However, it was of inferior quality, and thus was never very common.

References

{{lace types Bobbin lace Textile arts of Belgium Binche