History
In the 17th century, the Duchesse de Longueville organised the manufacture of lace at Chantilly. It has been produced from then up until the present day. Owing to the patronage of the duchesse, and the proximity of Chantilly to Paris it became popular. It came into fashion again during the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI, and was an especial favorite of Louis XV's last mistress, Mme du Barry, and of Marie Antoinette. When the French Revolution began in 1789, demand for the lace ceased. The lace-makers were seen as protégés of the royals, and after Mme du Barry and Marie Antoinette were guillotined in 1793, the lace-makers of Chantilly were themselves killed. At this point production ceased.
Napoleon I sponsored revivals of Chantilly lace, most especially between the years 1804 and 1815. At this point production was concentrated in Normandy, mainly around the Bayeux area. While it was no longer being made in Chantilly, all of the old techniques and designs were used. Chantilly lace reached the height of its popularity around 1830 and was revived again in the 1860s, at which point it was made at Bayeux, but also at Geraardsbergen in Belgium.
In 1844 a machine was patented that made Valenciennes lace and black silk Chantilly lace that was difficult to distinguish from the handmade lace.
Read more about this topic: Chantilly Lace
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