Lacis, a netted structure of threads, is of ancient origin and was originally intended for specialized tasks such as fishing. During the Medieval and Renaissance periods in Europe, embroiderers appropriated lacis and elevated it from functional to purely decorative. Hand-knotted on frames, lacis foundations were subsequently worked with a variety of stitches to form geometric or figural compositions. This charming piece was most likely made to commemorate a marriage. Linked arm in arm and dressed in contemporary fashions, the bride and groom stand at center, symbolically joined by a heart. Angels supporting a large crown flank the couple; surrounding them are stylized branches with exotic fowl arranged in mirror-image symmetry. A specific source for this lacis design remains enigmatic, yet there are visual clues which indicate that the trauschein—a Germanic marriage record of the fraktur genre—is probably the most likely template in this case.

The Art Institute of Chicago has a related piece in its textile collection (2008.168).