hsifeng | On the History of the Lucet (Reply)

Awhile back I posted this information...

Lucet Braiding: Variations on a Renaissance Cord, by Elaine Fuller (BIBLIOGRAPHY)

Ms. Fuller claims Viking and 16th sources of lucet use in her intro, but doesn't go into further detail in that section. At the end of the book, in her applications section, she mentions a number of uses for cording in the 16th century and seems to speculate (or perhaps she simply isn't clarifying her knowledge) that there are a number of them that are likely to be lucet made.

In the interest of cutting to the chase, I am listing the sources in her bib so that one (some, all?) of us can take a whack at them via ILL at some point for further clarification on the origins of this tool and the period it was commonly used in:

Andere, Mary. "Old Needlework Boxes and Tools: Their Story and How to Collect Them" New York: Drake Pulb. 1970

Epstein, Kathleen. "German Renaissance Patterns for Embroidery" Austin: Curious Works Press, 1994

Fisher, Birthe Karin "Band og redskab"Viborg, Sesam, 1978

Goodnow, Kendra and Hilliger, Albert C. "Lucette Cord Made Easy" 1978

Groves, Sylvia "The History of Needlework Tools and Accessories" Feltham, Middlesez: The Hamlyn Publishing Group, 1966

Proctor, Molly "Needlework Tools and Accessories: A Collectors Guide" London: BT Batsford, Ltd. 1990

Rogers, Gay Ann "An Illustrated History of Needlework Tools" London: John Murray Pubs. 1983

Wilkinson, Dorothy S "Needlework Tools: The Lucet" Needle Arts, June 1997, pp. 16-17

The following three title came in:

"The History of Needlework Tools and Accessories" by Sylvia Groves

"An Illustrated History of Needlework Tools" Gay Ann Rogers

"Old Needlework Boxes and Tools: Their Story and How to Collect Them" Mary Andere

So far, all these sources agree that the lucet was "still around" and in general use in the 18th C - but not one of them has indicated when it *started* being used or if it was around in the 16th C.

The closest I have gotten to a clue thus far is the following from Sylvia Groves book,

"Apart from the garniture of needlework there were numerous other purposes for which cords were needed in both large and small households. In medieval times horn-books, pen-cases, pincushions, pomanders and many objects of everyday use were hung from the waist suspended by cords. Hooks and eyes and metal fasteners, of a type that can be bought easily and cheaply today, did not become generally available until the late Georgian era, so hat both under and outer garments had to be laced up or gathered in with cords, or 'chains' as they were then termed. The closure of bags and purses presented another and more difficult problem; money was carried in a silk purse contained in an outer bag o leather drawn or tied round with strings or laces.

"All these cords had, of course, to be made by hand, usually on a simple but very essential, implement know as a lucet. This is a flat, lyre-shaped tool, from three to six inches in length, with two horns tapering or curving outwards at the ends...."

I just got the Abegg-Stiftung 'Textile Conservation' book in today and thought I would scan the index for the word 'lucet'. No luck, the index is only of pieces and images, not terms.

So I will try to skim the contents while I have it to see if any extant pieces with lucet cords are mentioned....

BTW - I also edited this entry to include my thoughts on fingerloop braiding.

jillwheezul, you can start the "I told you so" entry now....*grin*

edited 7/17/08 @ 8:54 AM -

Since I am returning the above listed ILL titles to the library today anyway, I am going to send in requests for these items to see if they have more details on the lucet/medieval/Early Modern connection:

Goodnow, Kendra and Hilliger, Albert C. "Lucette Cord Made Easy" 1978

Proctor, Molly "Needlework Tools and Accessories: A Collectors Guide" London: BT Batsford, Ltd. 1990

Wilkinson, Dorothy S "Needlework Tools: The Lucet" Needle Arts, June 1997, pp. 16-17

I desided to search the OED (since I found I have access to it via the SF Public Library):

lucet pron: ((

l(j)ust) )

timeline

						a1650		1858

a1650 in Furnivall Percy Folio (1868) II. 402 Shee that liues by nille and tape, & with her bagge & lucett beggs. 1858 SIMMONDS Dict. Trade, Lucet, a lady's lace loom, made of bone, ivory or wood.