Ever see your grandmother stitch lace? Remember those couch armrests and back covers made of dainty threaded patterns? What about table runners, stoles and shawls? Too far down memory lane?

Look no farther than the Brussels Costume and Lace Museum to feast your eyes on delicate examples that were once part of clothes, furniture decorative items, and hand-held fans for hot days.

Chantilly lace (Abu-Fadil)

A black fan in Chantilly lace is thought to have appeared in the French town by that name in the 18th century.

Take “Duchesse” lace, named in honor of Marie-Henriette, the duchess of Brabant and later queen of the Belgians.

That particular design, created in 1853 when she married the future King Leopold II, is full of flowers and leaves with ribbings.

Stole in Brussels Duchesse lace, belonging to Empress Elisabeth of Austria 1837-1898 (Abu-Fadil)

The museum, around the corner from the Belgian capital’s iconic Grande Place, can easily be missed if one is rushing through that cobblestone side street with similarly aging period buildings.

Grande Place, Brussels (Abu-Fadil)

Yet one of its rooms is packed with some of the finest handiwork by artisans whose assorted masterpieces were probably meant for royalty, commoners, and anyone who could afford them.

Gros point de Venise, or Venetian gros point, is another lace variation that was very popular in the second half of the 17th century before fading, then coming back into fashion from the mid-19th century.

Gros point de Venise (Abu-Fadil)

The technique was quite fashionable in patriotic lacework, a genre that appeared during World War I, and that proved very popular on the American market.

Point de Venise, a/k/a rose point or angle stitch, is needlepoint lace characterized by large foliage patterns enhanced by embroidery with a sculpted appearance that was in fashion throughout Europe from 1660-on.

Point de Venise (Abu-Fadil)

A collar in Italian lace, dating from the late 17th or early 18th century, is in a drawer surrounded by pictures of men whose attire was enhanced with such adult bibs.

The uninitiated could be excused if they’re easily duped into buying one kind of lace, thinking it’s something else, or a cheaper imitation made in an Asian sweatshop. So caution is in order, even at shops dotting Brussels’ historic touristic neighborhoods.

Brussels lace shop (Abu-Fadil)

What’s interesting about the lace pieces is they’re mostly in drawers in huge shelf-like cupboards that one has to pull out to examine.

Some pieces are featured in fixed glass display cases.

Rose point (Abu-Fadil)

Rose point, or gauze point, is Brussels needlepoint lace created in the mid-19th century.

It’s sometimes called rose point because of its rich floral patterns, often comprising roses with three-dimensional appliqué petals.

Also on display is Valenciennes lace developed in France, around 1700, but from the 19th century onwards, it was made almost exclusively in Belgium.

Valenciennes was originally made using the continuous thread technique with flat, opaque patterns in toile, initially against a round mesh ground, and later against a square mesh ground.

Valenciennes lace (Abu-Fadil)

The technique was developed a bit more in the 19th century and in 1833, extra threads were added to the decorative patterns in Ypres, while in Ghent, and later on in Brabant, the part-lace technique found in Brussels was used.

Milanese or Flanders lace is a bobbin type that appeared in Flanders and Italy in the second half of the 17th century in imitation of the Venetian needlepoint variety.

When interest in antique lace grew in the mid-19th century, exact copies of this type were made, along with new pieces in the same style.

Milanese or Flanders lace (Abu-Fadil)

One of the drawers displayed a handkerchief inspired by Milan or Flanders lace that belonged to Marie-Valerie, the daughter of Austrian Empress Elisabeth. It dates back to the second half of the 19th century.

Binche, a fine bobbin lace using the continuous thread technique, was developed around 1700. It’s noted for its snowflake ground and the very light, open weave decoration in toile.

Binche lace (Abu-Fadil)

This lace has been made in the Bruges region since the 19th century, under the name “point de fée” (fairy point).

One can imagine the endless hours of painstaking work that went into these fine objets d’art and the patience they required for us to appreciate them centuries later on a worthwhile visit to a charming museum.