LACE, BOBBIN, EDGING

Devon Bobbin Lace Edging with Lozenge Motifs and Ornate Footside, Late 19th Century

This exquisite handmade bobbin lace edging was crafted in Devon, England, in the late 19th century. Made as a continuous strip — rather than assembled from individual motifs — the lace features a square twisted thread ground, with a richly decorated footside edge and repeating lozenge-shaped motifs along the headside. The precision and elegance suggest it was intended for trimming fine garments or household linens.

Lace-making was a major cottage industry in East Devon, especially in and around Honiton, employing thousands of women and children. Honiton lace became especially prized for its delicacy, made with exceptionally fine thread that demanded time, skill, and patience. It was among the most expensive laces produced in Britain.

From the late 1600s, Devon’s network of out-workers and merchants supported large-scale lace production. Women often traded lace "sprigs" for groceries, integrating this art form into daily life. Honiton lace reached national fame in the 19th century thanks to Queen Victoria, who wore a Honiton lace veil at her wedding, and commissioned a christening gown still used by the royal family today.

This edging is a refined example of the lasting legacy of British lace — a marriage of fine design, skilled handwork, and social history.