Frivolité: The Beggar's Lace

Tatting is one of the simplest forms of lace, and yet also one of the least known or preserved.

While it has a rich history amongst many cultures, there is no official origin documented for shuttle tatted lace.  There are, however, many legends, theories, and fancies surrounding it's beginning.  Some scholars believe it was developed as an alternate technique to knotting, a form of textile decoration that originated in Asia and the Middle East.  Others believe it originated on it's own.  It's most often credited as the oldest form of lacemaking, although without a solid origin it's difficult to confirm if this is true.

The story I was taught, and perhaps my favorite even if it holds no truth, is that it originated amongst poor fishing communities.  While the men were at sea, the women would repeair the fishing nets with a shuttle and series of knots.  They then applied these techniques with smaller, hand carved shuttles made from wood or bone, and sewing threads to mimic the fashions of the wealthy. 

Examples of vintage style tatting shuttles, made in wood, horn, and silver.

Lace has long been more than just pretty decor, and has a rich history of also being a status symbol, and so it makes sense that those who could not afford expensive imported laces would seek to make their own lace to engage with the fashions of the time. As the technique grew in popularity, it eventually became a status symbol amongst the wealthy during the Renaissance and Victorian eras; a way of showing that one was wealthy enough to engage in such a frivolous activity as making lace rather than having to labour.

A large part of the reason it's origins are so murky is because there are very few remaining examples of intact tatted lace from before the early 1800's.  The earliest written mention of the craft is in a short story, A Masquerade by Charles Robert Forrester, published in 1835, but it's clear from early mentions that it was well estabilished prior to then.

Vintage tatted lace baby bonnet, image courtesy of Lion and Lamb Vintage.

The first example of written instruction, however, is not until 1859 with the publication of The Ladies' Hand Book of Fancy and Ornamental Work by Florence Hartley. Considering the most common fiber for such work at the time was cotton, and the fact that lace would have been salvaged from worn garments and reused multiple times, it's not surprising that we have so few examples remaining.

Whatever the truth of the origin of this craft, the fact remains that it is still being enjoyed worldwide by crafters and lace enthusiasts of all kinds.