DOI issue:
No.252 (April 1914)
DOI article:Ricci, Elisa: The revival of needlework in Italy
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21209#0207
Revival of Needlework in Italy
In this instance the
prime spirit of the enter
prise was Countess Lina
Cavazza, who started by
personally teaching the
"punto a reticello"—
which is the mother stitch
of the wonderful family of
needle-made laces of Italy
—to a few young girls
who in their turn, when
pupils became over-
numerous, taught the
newcomers. Reticello
has the advantage over
Burano Point, of being
less fine and consequently
quicker to make; it is
stronger and more prac-
tical, it costs less and is
peculiarly Italian.
This industry quickly
spread from Bologna all
over the Peninsula and
found favour with the
CUSHION COVER MADE IN THE MARAINI WORKSHOPS, RIETI, UMBRIA ladies of Sicily In Puglie
wide-awake city, disciples
of that "New Gospel of
Art" which came to us out
of England, formed a
society called "/Emilia
Ars," about which some-
thing has already been said
in this magazine. Their
aim was to revive those
arts termed " minor" or
"lesser" arts, and to im-
part a little more beauty
to life by giving a touch of
beauty to everything we
come into contact with in
the daily course of life.
The arts of lace-making
and embroidery, like
younger sisters, timidly fol-
lowed in the wake of the
arts of iron and woodwork,
gold and precious stones,
and to-day the name of
"^Emilia Ars" lives and
is chiefly famous for the
achievements of those
smaller sister arts.
CUSHION COVER MADE IN THE MARAINI WORKSHOPS, RIETI, UMBRIA
201
In this instance the
prime spirit of the enter
prise was Countess Lina
Cavazza, who started by
personally teaching the
"punto a reticello"—
which is the mother stitch
of the wonderful family of
needle-made laces of Italy
—to a few young girls
who in their turn, when
pupils became over-
numerous, taught the
newcomers. Reticello
has the advantage over
Burano Point, of being
less fine and consequently
quicker to make; it is
stronger and more prac-
tical, it costs less and is
peculiarly Italian.
This industry quickly
spread from Bologna all
over the Peninsula and
found favour with the
CUSHION COVER MADE IN THE MARAINI WORKSHOPS, RIETI, UMBRIA ladies of Sicily In Puglie
wide-awake city, disciples
of that "New Gospel of
Art" which came to us out
of England, formed a
society called "/Emilia
Ars," about which some-
thing has already been said
in this magazine. Their
aim was to revive those
arts termed " minor" or
"lesser" arts, and to im-
part a little more beauty
to life by giving a touch of
beauty to everything we
come into contact with in
the daily course of life.
The arts of lace-making
and embroidery, like
younger sisters, timidly fol-
lowed in the wake of the
arts of iron and woodwork,
gold and precious stones,
and to-day the name of
"^Emilia Ars" lives and
is chiefly famous for the
achievements of those
smaller sister arts.
CUSHION COVER MADE IN THE MARAINI WORKSHOPS, RIETI, UMBRIA
201