Laces on Synagogue Textiles

In the latter half of the eighteenth century, the use of yard metal bobbin lace started to become more frequent for the bordering and separating of the decorated surfaces of synagogue textiles. The basis of their pattern is a wave and also with scallops. The use of these laces, however, is not specific to the Jewish milieu; at that time they were prevalent throughout Europe and became very popular. With various modifications, they continued to be supplied by traders throughout the following century, too, as in the decoration of synagogue textiles.
An example of the popularity of these laces in the ornamentation of synagogue textiles is curtain inv. no. 52.189. The double band of yard bobbin lace in gold metal thread forms shafts of columns, the bases of which consist of simple lace with a continuous wavy pattern. In this way, the fragile lace is the main material for a symmetric portal composion, which is characteristic of the ornamentation of large synagogue textiles from Bohemia and Moravia.