Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
By contrast, even a small finished piece of handmade needle lace can take weeks to craft.
Therefore, the price for handmade lace is typically many times more than a machine-made
version of the same kind of work. Today's labor prices make handmade work cost-pro-
hibitive except for expensive custom work on a small scale or hand-finished details on a
machine-made piece.
Even for machine-made lace, however, quality may vary widely. The easiest way to re-
cognize a lower-quality piece of machine-made lace is that the stitches appear extremely
tight and the finished product feels stiff. The designs are so flawless that only a machine
could have made them, giving an overall sterile and lifeless effect. By contrast, handmade
laces are delicate and contain imperfections only the human hand could create. However,
some machine-made lace is so fine that it is difficult even for experts to tell the difference.
PRICE POINT
Genuine, handmade lace from Burano should cost at least ten times more
than its machine-made counterpart, based on the number of hours that go in-
to its making.
The old lace school on Burano closed in 1961 after a series of financial difficulties, but
a Lace Museum was formed in 1981 and it now occupies two former gothic palaces. The
museum should be your first stop on Burano, as you can usually watch lacemakers work-
ing there firsthand. Before buying, it's important to view authentic Venetian lace from past
centuries. The collection includes a rotating exhibition of several hundred authentic pieces,
so it's a great place to train your eye.
If you have your heart set on handmade lace, you can commission a company such as
Jesurum or an individual lacemaker to craft a custom work for you. Keep in mind that these
will be small works. A large piece could take years or longer to craft entirely by hand, and
would command a tremendous price.
It's a good idea to buy from the museum shop or directly from one of the lacemakers
you may see gathered outside, working a pattern with needle and thread. Venice is one of
the most tourist-trap-filled cities in the world, so always buy from a reputable source and
be careful that you're not paying an exorbitant price for a hastily made piece that may have
been fabricated elsewhere.
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