wing both grandeur of style
and pattern and exquisite workmanship. Under Louis XV. the lace was
equally well made, but the patterns followed the Rococo designs which
were now introduced into all other decorative work, while in the reign
of the ill-fated Louis XVI. it went completely out of fashion, Marie
Antoinette affecting a much simpler style of lace. The Revolution
finally caused the complete overthrow of Alencon lace, as of all fine
art work in France. An attempt was made by Napoleon I. to revive it, but
its glories had passed, and the hands of the workers had lost their
cunning, the result being known as the worst type of lace, stiff and
ugly in design and coarse of execution.

"_Point d'Argentan._"

This lace is practically the same as Alencon with a variation of ground,
which, to the uninitiated, appears coarse. A magnifying glass, however,
will speedily dispel this illusion. The ground in itself is a marvellous
piece of work, each of the sides of the mesh being covered with ten
buttonhole stitches. Very frequently a mixed lace of Alencon and
Argentan is found, the result being very fine.

[Illustration: "POINT DE FRANCE."

(_Author's Collection._)]

[Illustration: POINT D'ARGENTELLA.]

_Point d'Argentella._

About this lace most authorities dispute, some stoutly advocating its
claims to be French lace entirely and others averring that it was made
_in imitation_ of the Point d'Alencon by the Genoese. Be this as it may,
the lace known as Point d'Argentella is exceptionally fine even amongst
other fine laces, and is noted most specially for the fine "jours" which
form an essential part of the pattern, every effort apparently being
made to give extra scope for their employment. The specimen illustrated
shows some of these "jours" having the characteristic mayflower,
lozenge, and dotted patterns.

Much modern lace of this type is now made at Burano, Italy, where the
coarse Italian lace formerly made there has been entirely superseded. It
strongly imitates Alencon and Argentan lace, but is without the raised
cord which is so typical of these, having the pattern outlined with flat
buttonhole stitches only. By many connoisseurs this is considered the
finest lace of this age, being far superior to modern Brussels. It is
entirely handmade, which cannot be, unfortunately, averred for Brussels,
as the fine machine-made net, woven from the exquisitely fine thread
manufactured in Flanders and Belgium, serves as