This brooch and necklace set is part of the jewellery collection of the National Museum of Ireland. The intricacy of the woven horsehair strands; their red dyed coloration and the tiny scale of brooch and necklace components is perhaps not surprising for a country with such a lace-making heritage. It certainly makes sense that with the time taken to craft such intricate loops, tracery and knots one would be wise to use such a durable yet fine fibre as horsehair. It was a common component for many daily used items; from upholstery fabric to mattress stuffing. This one might agree is perhaps a far more respectable use for the mane of such a majestic creature. Both pieces are from the early nineteenth century and were made in the seaside town of Youghal in County Cork.
© 2011 admin
Horsehair Lace
17 Sep
This entry was written by admin, posted on September 17, 2011 at 12:47, filed under garment, product, textile and tagged horse, horse hair, Ireland, jewellery, lace, National Museum of Ireland, Red. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.
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Older: Russborough House
The abundance of yellow and the wall-to-wall tomes in a square room of not too large a scale make it very cosy. Having said that I think I would want to be sticking my head around the door at the Picasso, Gainsborough and tapestries in the sitting room next to it; not to mention that music room.
Newer: Kanagawa Biennial World Children’s Exhibition.
“To foster the dreams and creativity of today’s young children who will be the bearers of tomorrow through the art, and also to further understanding of the world’s diverse cultures and differences in global liefstyles.”