Island Pag Lace

ISLAND PAG LACE

by Ina Delić

Pag lace (in Croatian called Paška čipka) is a type of lacework from the island of Pag. It requires a needle, a thread and a backing which needs to be a round or a square stuffed pillow. Lace-makers of Pag did their work without any drawing samples . Each woman used works from her mother and grandmothers as examples, while each of them were adding a personal touch, unique and special details to their lace designs. The tradition has been kept going for over 1400 years and was originally used to make tablecloths and ornaments for clothing.  Each lace piece was a symbol of the anonymous, modest and self-sacrificing life of its maker.

In 2009, Lacemaking in Croatia, represented by Lepoglava lace, Pag lace and Hvar lace, was inscribed in the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.  You can find Pag lace in many souvenir shops all over the island of Pag and visit „The Gallery of the Pag lace“ in the city of Pag. There is also a monastery of Saint Margarita in Pag where the school of sewing the Pag lace originated.