In White

Whether brought into the marriage as a dowry or made in eager anticipation of motherhood—items displaying white needlework dominated the domestic scene at the turn of the last century. The filet-knitted jacket and matching infant’s caps in whisper-thin cotton yarn were among the belongings of the wife of the Swiss consul in Naples. Lovingly modeled on the form of a baby’s head, these tiny hats are knitted from the rosette at the back in a stripe pattern out to the scalloped edge. The liseuse (bed jacket) in Empire style has lace batwing sleeves and machine-made lace trim, while the collar in Teneriffe lace provides an alluring handcrafted shoulder accent.