Historical information

Another delicate item, this bed jacket has been made with machine made cotton net which has seams joined with bobbin tape. The hand appliqued motifs on the back of the jacket are possibly Princess lace which is a type of tape lace made in Belgium in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. There are two types of Princess lace, one is where the tape shapes are sewn on to net and the other is where the shapes are linked together to form a type of guipure lace. This could be an example of the former known as an applique lace. Unfortunately one of the cuffs has become detached. Packaged with note: "Limerick lace bed jacket Janet Amess 1860 from Kel Bright collection with separated cuff" Packaged with note: "Machined lace bed jacket. Janet Amess 1860

Significance

The Amess family owned Churchill Island from 1872 to 1929. This lace collection was owned and contributed to by four generations of Amess women.

Physical description

Motifs hand sewn on to machined net; bobbin tape on seams (NGV) Princess machine lace machine made motifs hand-applied

Inscriptions & markings

Packaged with note: "Machined lace bed jacket. Janet Amess 1860. From Kel Bright Collection with separated cuff".