Strip of 16th Century Bobbin Lace made in Mexico

This strip of bobbin lace made in Mexico in the 16th century, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, serves as an example of what locally produced bobbin lace looked like in New Spain two centuries prior to the creation of Juárez's De mulato y mestiza, produce mulato es torna atrás. Due to its length of 22 inches and its wide width of nine inches, this piece of lace may have been used as a sleeve decoration in a style similar to that of the woman’s dress in Juárez’s painting. While this strip of bobbin lace appears to incorporate gilt thread into its construction, the bobbin lace depicted on the collar and sleeves of the woman in the Juárez's painting appears to be made of bleached cotton and lacking gilt thread detailing.

“Strip,” Mexican, 16^th Century, Bobbin Lace, 22 in. by 9 in. Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Nuttall Collection, Gift of Mrs. Magdalena Nuttall, 1908 .08.180.958.