shawl, unknown maker from England, United Kingdom, France, or Germany

Black lace became fashionable in the 1840s and reached its height of popularity in the 1860s. One of the most popular types of black laces was Chantilly, which was produced in France and Belgium. Chantilly is a type of continuous bobbin lace that can be made in narrow or wide strips, suitable for wardrobe embellishments such as flouncing, an ornamental frill, and edging on dresses. Chantilly can also be produced in irregular pieces and joined together by a nearly invisible stitch called point de raccroc to create larger lace garments such as shawls.
Market demand fueled a technological race to build machines capable of producing quality copies of handmade lace. Exquisite reproductions of Chantilly lace, such as this one from Sallie Casey Thayer’s collection, became possible only after the jacquard apparatus was applied to the loom frame beginning in the early 1820s. Although the majority of the shawl is machine-made, details such as the scalloped edges and picots, or small loops, were added by hand. Thayer had a penchant for textiles that demonstrate craftsmanship and elegant design, which are both evident in this shawl’s elaborate pattern and hand-run cordonnet outline around the floral motif.