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Punta al Coixí: Turning Thread into Gold

Trobada de Puntaires in 2008, photo by Ajuntament de Vilanova i la Geltrú (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr.

Poster for a 1906 lace making expo in Arenys de Munt, by Enric Sagnier i Villavecchia. Image courtesy of Museu d’Arenys de Mar.

Lace-making "trobada" in Arenys de Munt in the early 20th century.

The soothing tap of hundreds of wooden bobbins being deftly passed over each other is the only sound. The heads of the seven Catalan lace-makers are cast down on their work as if in prayer, their fingers moving as expertly as a concert pianist’s to select the bobbin they need. All light is cast on the threads. Someone speaks and everyone laughs. The lace is slowly created.

By weight, the pieces these people are making are more valuable than gold. A pair of women’s gloves can cost over €2,500 and the simplest handkerchief can take six months to complete. In the past this kind of lace could be pawned for cash at Barcelona’s historic bank Monte de Piedad, but now it is made just for the pleasure.

“You always feel happier after working on your lace,” said Josep Lamiel, 52, one of the managers of the former lace shop, Labors Vol i Boixet.“When you are working on it you can’t think of anything else. The sound of the bobbins relaxes you.”

In reality, making lace of this high standard is a skill that takes decades to master. Up to 1,000 wooden spools and threads are managed and manipulated to make this precious fabric.

Trobada de Puntaires 2017, photo by Premsa Sant Cugat (CC BY-NC 2.0) via Flickr.

President of Associació Catalana de Puntaires (The Catalan Lace Guild), Rosa Maria Provencio, 71, believes learning about lace from the region is a way for foreigners to develop their understanding of Catalans. “People are very surprised that we have this skill here, especially foreigners. We had two Japanese ladies come over to learn what we do. They stayed for two months,” Provencio told me. “Learning about Catalan lace is a way to integrate yourself into our culture. It is a way to understand us. We are a people of tradition.”

There are two main ways to make lace. One is bobbin lace which is made by pinning threads to a large pillow and attaching all the threads to wooden spools or “bobbins.” These bobbins are worked in groups of four and systematically passed over each other to create the plaits and knots of the lace. The other technique is needle lace which achieves a similar effect using a single needle.

Bobbin lace, or punta al coixí as it is called in Catalan, is Catalunya’s specialty. There are two types of bobbin lace made in the region; blonda de l’Arboç is a style from Tarragona and is known for its dense weave, while punta d’Arenys comes from the coastal area around Arenys de Mar and is famous for its more delicate finish. Apart from their beauty, what is special about these laces is the skill required to make them and the large number of bobbins needed to control the lace. “The number of people who make our traditional lace are few,” said Provencio.

Monument a la puntaire in Arenys d'Mar, photo by Tara Shain, August 2022.

Monument to the lace makers, by J. Viladomat, Escaldes-Engordany, Andorra. Photo by Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons.

Monument to "la puntaire" in Martorell, photo courtesy of Diputació de Barcelona.

Monument to the lace maker in Arenys de Munt. Photo by Jordi Domènech i Arnau (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Flickr.

Spain has a long history of lace-making. It is widely thought that Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of English King Henry VIII, introduced lace-making to England when she was there in 1531. The oldest Catalan bobbin lace dates from the 14th century and can be found in the Monastery of Pedralbes in Barcelona.

Since its creation, lace-making provided a livelihood for women homemakers across Europe because of the constant demand from the bourgeoisie to be seen wearing lace as a show of wealth. The most sought-after Spanish lace was the fine black lace historically used for mantillas (the silk lace veils worn over the head and shoulders on formal occasions across Spain). At the end of the 18th century came the machines that did away with the professional lace-maker entirely. Now there is almost no demand for hand-made lace—despite its rich tradition of lace-making, there is not one lace shop in Barcelona that sells new lace pieces off-the-shelf.

Despite this lack of demand, the culture and love of lace-making is alive and kicking in Barcelona today. There are thought to be somewhere around 3,000 lace-makers in the city and 40 lace associations; every barrio of the city has at least one. It is said one in five grandmothers makes lace in Cataluyna. Your best chance of seeing lace being made is to visit one of the many lace meetings, or trobadas, which take place across the city, culminating in the annual gathering at Portal de l’Àngel which sees some 500 people gather around a vast table in February as part of the Santa Eulàlia celebrations. The same thing, on a smaller scale, is seen at most festes majors across the region.

Trobada de Puntaires in 2017, photo by Premsa Sant Cugat (CC BY-NC 2.0) via Flickr.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not only elderly women who make lace here—men and children can wield a bobbin too. The Catalan Lace Guild has even created its own Facebook page and has organized lace-making classes and competitions for children. The former president, Maria Jesus González, 74, has worked tirelessly to preserve the Catalan lace culture for the next generation. “We have the best lace in Spain. We have more varieties here. We have a creative culture in Cataluyna and I’m working very hard to ensure it has a future,” she said.

But others are worried that there is not enough commitment from practitioners to pass on the skill. Lace teacher Antonia Jaures i Vallalta, who has been making lace since she was a girl, is concerned. “Young people are increasingly interested and grandmothers want to share what they know. But only three of the six women in my class are passing it on to the next generation. It is not enough.”

Since machines make so much of the lace we see today, it is hard to appreciate the amount of work, skill and commitment that goes into making a piece of hand-made lace. Whereas a knitter might create a hat in a few hours, a lace-maker will take months to create the smallest of pieces because the weaves are so tiny.

Encaje de bolillos, photo by Calafellvalo (CC BY-NC 2.0) via Flickr.

So what is the allure of this most beautiful, if painstaking, business? For Josep Lamiel, lace-making was a lifeline. “I was working in a bar and became ill with stress. My doctor told me I needed to change my life. I was walking past a shop and saw two ladies doing something with wooden sticks. They were making lace and it was very relaxing. I wanted to try,” he said. “Now we are like a little family. I can tell by looking at a piece who made it. I know who does a tight weave, who is a perfectionist, who is more relaxed.”

But for others, making lace simply unites mind and body. “You need a lot of concentration. Your hands and brain work together. When you have finished you have made a work of art, a fantastic work of art. It gives you a huge amount of satisfaction. It is a therapy,” said González.

Whether a form of therapy of a priceless tradition, lace making is an art form that will hopefully continue for ages to come.

Trobada de Puntaires 2015, photo by Ajuntament de Vilanova i la Geltrú (CC BY-ND 2.0).

More Info

Courses

Courses can be found at various civic centers in the city throughout the year, like the upcoming taller puntes de coixí course at the Font de la Guatlla Civic Center, from January 19 to March 22, 2023.

Festivals

So many towns and villages throughout Catalunya host annual lace-making trobadas throughout the year in conjunction with other celebrations, such as local fairs and festes majors. Some of these are small affairs while others boast the participation of well over 1,000 lace makers filling the streets such as the Trobada de Puntaires in Olot and Fira de Santa Llúcia, la Fira de la Punta al Coixí de Catalunya in l'Arboç. Below is a brief list of just a few of the places you can see the puntaires in action.

Museu Marès de la Punta in Arenys de Mar.

Lace Museums in Catalunya

Lace Museums Outside of Catalunya

Shops

Originally published December 1, 2012, updated January 8, 2023.

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