Victorian Lace Bobbin

It is unsure when the art of lace making first made its appearance in Britain but it is thought that the Flemish immigrants during the 1560's may have been responsible. Another theory is that lace making originated in Italy and it was from here that lace was introduced to England. But it was known - there was an import duty on lace as early as 1562!

Most antique bobbins date back to the nineteenth century and were constructed usually from bone or wood.  Some solid silver bobbins have been found but they were certainly not for common usage.
They were usually given as gifts or to celebrate some occasion.

Lace in Britain came into its own in the early 1700's due to imported lace being banned (which led to the merchandise being smuggled in from France) and a good lace worker could expect to earn up to seven shillings per day.  However, by the end of the 19th Century,  machine-made lace had flooded the market and wages had dropped to around 4 pennies per day.This spelt the end of hand-made lace.

The above bobbin is made from fruitwood and shows a inlay of Pewter in the form of small 'dots' which was referred to as a "Leopard" bobbin with some 'turning'. Bobbins with bands of pewter were known as 'Tigers". Constant use of the bobbin would have caused the pewter to appear 'silver' in color. 
This finely executed "Midlands" bobbin shows it was made by a true craftsman, it is beautifully turned and spangled with ten glass beads, strung on brass wire which was typical of the period and measures 9.3 cm in length. 
There is a very small chip at the head 

Shipping R40.00

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