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Brazilian Lace
Written by: luminoUS, Editor-at-Large
Lace has been around for quite awhile, adorning cherry wood dining room tables and wedding gowns. The craft is believed to have been begun around the 14th century; many countries have eXpressed their own rich heritage through the holes and stitches of lace. Brazil is no different.
The lacework of Brazil arrived by way of Portugal in the 17th century. There is a popular saying that reads, “Where there is a fishing net, there is lace,” and this saying eXtends from the fact that most of the women who worked in the art form of lace were closely associated with fishermen. Be it wives or daughters, these women settled near the coast with the fishermen in their lives. For the most part, the fishermen make the net and the women will then fill them in with floral and geometrical shapes. This intricate weave of tapestry is passed from woman to woman and from generation to generation.
In essence, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, but there is nothing more beautiful than bearing witness to crafts birthed out of cultural richness…
As out of place as it might sound, both the Irish lace and renaissance lace are the most popular of Brazilian laces. The stitches even boasts name such as “eyebrow”, “remember me”, “good night” and “poor man’s happiness”. With names such as these, it’s no wonder the Brazilian still sing the folk song, “Hey, lace maker. Hey, woman making lace. If you will teach me to make lace, I will teach you to fall in love.”
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The workspace of the lace maker consists of a large firm pillow and roughly about 50 bobbins. The process in itself is very tedious and it involves winding and overlapping the thread to make distinctive patterns. The more eXperienced the lace maker, the faster the work is completed and, after awhile, to the average person not skilled in lace-making, it looks as if the process is being completed with little to no effort at all.
“Hey, lace maker. Hey, woman making lace. If you will teach me to make lace, I will teach you to fall in love.”
Crafting is distinct to each culture and corner of the world, but it is the love of art that allows us to admire the beauty of what style can be made with the bare hand. Although much of today’s lace is manufactured in huge textile plants, there is nothing like a handmade original piece of lace. I suppose it’s comparable to the difference between having your wedding gown or tuxedo custom made to your liking or buying one off of the rack at your nearest wedding shop. In essence, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, but there is nothing more beautiful than bearing witness to crafts birthed out of cultural richness.
Much peace, love and light
