Much modern lace of this type is now made at Burano, Italy, where the coarse Italian lace formerly made there has been entirely superseded. It strongly imitates Alencon and Argentan lace, but is without the raised cord which is so typical of these, having the pattern outlined with flat buttonhole stitches only. By many connoisseurs this is considered the finest lace of this age, being far superior to modern Brussels. It is entirely handmade, which cannot be, unfortunately, averred for Brussels, as the fine machine-made net, woven from the exquisitely fine thread manufactured in Flanders and Belgium, serves as the ground for all Brussels lace made at the present time, except when special orders like Royal trousseaux are in hand. The lace-makers of Burano, it may be added, imitate the finest Venetian Rose Point, Point de Gaze, Alencon, ever produced, the prices comparing very favourably with the old work, though still very costly. [Illustration: POINT D'ARGENTAN WITH POINT D'ALENCON BORDER. (_S.K.M. Collection._)] [Illustration: ARGENTELLA LACE, SHOWING THE "PARTRIDGE-EYE" GROUND. (_S.K.M. Collection._)] VI THE PILLOW LACES OF FRANCE [Illustration: EARLY VALENCIENNES. (_S.K.M. Collection._)] [Illustration: OLD VALENCIENNES. (_Author's Collection._)] VI THE PILLOW LACES OF FRANCE Valenciennes, "Vraie" and "Fausse"--Lille--Chantilly-- Blonde--Caen and Brittany. _Valenciennes._ Valenciennes was formerly part of Flanders, being in the province of Hainault. It became a French town in 1668 by treaty. Being a Flemish town, the lace made there was purely Pillow lace, and in fineness of thread and beauty of design it rivalled in its early stages some of the fine old Flemish laces, which are more like ornamental cambric than anything else. There are two kinds of Valenciennes lace, known as "Vraie" and "Fausse." These names are very misleading, as they merely denote the laces made in the town itself, or in the outskirts. Early Valenciennes can only be distinguished from Flemish laces of the same age by the difference in the _ground_. By reference to the little chart of lace stitches the distinction will easily be seen, the Valenciennes being much closer and thicker in the plait, and having four threads on each side of its diamond-shaped mesh. Conventional scrolls and flowers were used as designs for the toile, the ground and the pattern being made at the same time. This lace is said to have been worked, like that of Brussels, in dark, damp cellars, the moist atmosphere being necessary to prevent the tiny thread breaking. The lace-workers became nearly blind, and quite useless, long before they reached thirty years of age.