Armenian Lace

18th century Armenian lace cover, Honolulu Academy of Art

Armenian lace is the lacemaking tradition of the Armenian people. Due to the material's accessibility, the simple tools required, and the wide means of artistic expression, it has remained popular among the Armenian people.

Armenian cotton lace, Auckland War Memorial Museum, New Zealand

Although white is the dominant color in Armenian lace, colored lace does exist in relation to national costume.

Samples of Armenian lace have been preserved in private collections and in various museums around the world.

History

19th century cotton woven lace, Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Armenian lacemaking is thought to date back to before the 15th or 16th centuries. Although no textiles are preserved from that time, lacemaking seems to be referenced in some stone sculptures, especially khachkars, which look like delicate swatches of lace. Arab historians of the 10th century, listing the occupations of the Armenian people, mentioned handicrafts, headscarves, blankets, which were apparently related to lace. 

It is believed that gold thread, silver thread, silk thread and pearl braided laces were known in a number of Asian countries earlier than in Europe (13th century).

Applications

19th century Armenian lace, cotton, silk, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, New York

Armenian lace-making is quite similar to other branches of decorative-applied arts, and its designs share many similarities with khachkar, including the symmetry of their designs, richness and diversity of ornaments, and stylistic unity.

Tablecloths, curtains, blankets, ribbons of various bochchas, handkerchiefs, headscarves, as well as collars and various household items (comb bowls, button, handkerchief pockets, etc.) were made using lace weaving. The "rose" on the forehead, which was a part of head decorations of the Upper Armenia women's costume, is worthy of attention. It was woven with a needle, multi-colored silk threads, combined patterns of small flowers and leaves. The white, silk lace suspenders with lily patterns of the Cilicia-Armenian women's costume are of interest. In Karin (Erzurum), Van, Baghesh, women wove the laces of their foreheads, the edges of yapush, and yazmans. In the decoration of the head of the Armenian women's costume of Karin, not only silk threads were used, but also mother-of-pearl laces, which were sometimes woven with gold threads. Ribbon-shaped mesh pearl braided laces were hung on the temples and used as necklaces. Lace tablecloths and curtains were popular in Shatakh.

Varieties

Armenian lace

The types of lace got their names from the historical states of Armenia. There are known Aintap drawn thread work, Vaspurakan lace, Urfa darning, Sebastia khachkar, Edessia suzan, Marash blind stitch, Marash darning  and other types.

There were two types of lace in Constantinople; needle stitched with colorful threads, oya and upholstery needle, woven with ghasan and crochet hook. Veil lace was popular as a head decoration in Shamakhi. The veil was knitted on the loop with a needle and a crochet needle made of silk thread. After knitting they were boilted with soap.

Marash laces are sewn with two different types of needleworks; one was a unique flat stitch, known as the handle-needle and Zeitoun stitch, and the other was a woven stitch.

In the Armenian settlements of Cilicia, along with other types of lace, loop-knot laces were common.

Geographic spread

Lacemaking was widespread in almost all provinces of Armenia.  In the 19th century, Van-Vaspurakan, Upper Armenia (Karin, Kars, Alexandropol, Akhaltskhan, Akhalkalak), Cilicia (Aintap, Marash, Urfa), Lesser Hayk (Sebastian, Kesaria, Arabkir, etc.), K. Polis, Tiflis.

After the First World War and the Armenian genocide, lace business spread to a number of Arabian countries, Greece, France, and the United States. The geographical spread of Armenian lace also included a number of Armenian-populated places in Asia, Africa as well as Crimea.

Gallery

Patterns of 20th century Armenian lacework, Regional History Museum of Sofia.

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