Page:Guide to the Bohemian section and to the Kingdom of Bohemia - 1906.djvu/127

101 soon got beyond the pedlar stage of its existence, in some districts they are now organised by diverse societies who bringing their trained experience and capital into the business, have succeeded in the largely increasing trade.

There is a great difference between the lace made in the Bohemian districts and the products of the german parts of the country — as on the north—western boundary of Bohemia, called „Krušné Hory“ (Erzgebirge). The former are either specimens of pillow lace afore mentioned, with the pattern outlined with a kind of cordonnet, or very fine lace resembling Valenciennes, or various guipures reminding one of Russian lace, and much akin to the coloured lace made by the Slovaks in Hungary.

The art of lace-making is the special object of certain industrial schools and the efforts of the treachers have been rewarded with a large measure of success.

In Bohemia and Moravia, earlier perhaps than in any other part of Central Europe, much attention has been bestowed on the apparently vanishing innate inventive powers of the country people. More than twenty five years ago, articles of dress, furniture, pottery etc., were collected into Museums, and a great number of Exhibitions brought to light quantities of interesting objects of textile and ceramic industry, along with various small house-hold untensils from all parts of Bohemia, Moravia and Slovenia inhabited by the Slavonic race. All these proofs of genuine inventive spirit of the people and their peculiar aesthetic taste, had so much artistic value, that there was a general desire to save this art from utter extinction. This was aimed at in two ways. First, by preserving the old customs and taking steps to encourage the genuine inventive spirit in the various districts where the old traditions still survived. This is hardly possible in Bohemia, but more so in Moravia and northern Hungary amongst the Slovaks. There the old art of embroidery still flourishes and is executed in the traditional manner and style. In certain districts, potters are even now able to produce ware in the old original form and style of ornamentation.