Strip of lace with a three-lobed cartouche and hanging flower with a drop-shaped heart

Strip of natural-coloured bobbin lace: Mechelen lace. The repeating pattern consists of two interlocking symmetrical compositions. One composition consists of a three-lobed cartouche, lying along the underside and flanked on the left and right by a long S-volute with five lobes at the bottom. From the S-volutes springs a splitting branch with one leaf and two flowers. The other composition consists of a flower hanging from the upper side with a drop-shaped heart, between two leaves. The motifs are connected by a fine mesh ground. The motifs are made in linen stitch with few cutouts, but with openwork edges. Around the motifs slightly thicker and shiny contour lines are applied with thread. Several different decorative grounds are applied, including a snowflake ground, in among others the cartouche and between the leaves. The slightly scalloped underside results from the pattern and is finished with picots. The upper side is finished straight.