Lace as A Cultural Element in Turkish Home Decoration

Öktem Erkartal P., Yasar D.

Textile: The Journal of Cloth and Culture, vol.23, no.2, pp.185-196, 2025 (AHCI, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 23 Issue: 2
  • Publication Date: 2025
  • Doi Number: 10.1080/14759756.2025.2450116
  • Journal Name: Textile: The Journal of Cloth and Culture
  • Journal Indexes: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, IBZ Online, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, ABI/INFORM, Art Abstracts, Art Index, Design & Applied Arts Index, Index Islamicus
  • Page Numbers: pp.185-196
  • Keywords: culture, home decoration, interior, lace
  • Yıldız Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Crochet lace not only serves as an esthetic element in Turkish culture, but it is also a symbol of time, labor, and women’s existence. Each crochet lace piece is marked with the traces of a life practice that embodies patience, skill, and creativity. These elegant pieces, crafted by mothers and grandmothers, have become a part of our cultural heritage, which has been passed on from family to family. Nevertheless, the decreased role of lace in home decoration is indicative of the risk of losing this cultural heritage. This study aimed to investigate the place of lace, which reflects the patience, skill and creativity of women, in Turkish culture and its importance in home decoration, and to introduce the lace by the family elders for the dowry chests of young women. This article aims to create a cultural memory as a journey to carry the labor of the past to the future.