Agave Lace
Lace is a delicate fabric made from thread woven into different patterns, originating during Renaissance in the Mediterranean and Western Europe. The basic techniques of lacemaking are needle point and bobbin lace. Today, there are three main lacemaking centres in Croatia with a long tradition: Lepoglava in Croatian Zagorje with its bobbin lace, the island of Pag with its needle point and Hvar Island with its agave lace.
The skill of making agave lace is very particular because of the material which is used and its connection to the Benedictine Convent established in 1664. The convent is located in the family residential compound of poet Hanibal Lucić, but was given to the Benedictines by way of his final will. The first nuns arrived at the convent from the island of Rab, and since then the convent has been continuously active. The convent’s most significant contribution was in education – its nuns operated a girls’ elementary school from 1826 to 1886. Today, the convent is best known for its agave lace which has been made there since the 19th century.
The work involved in preparing the lace threads is long and arduous. Thin white lines are extracted from fresh agave leaves, harvested in a specific time of year and specially processed until they’re ready for weaving. According to tradition, the threads cannot be made when the bora wind blows because the cold dry air makes them fragile. The threads are weaved into various patterns, and the resulting lace is the symbol of Hvar Island.
The Hvar lace, as part of Croatian lacemaking, has been included in the UNESCO World Intangible Heritage List in 2009.
