Spain · Lace making; Bobbin craft; Castilian heritage
Encaje de Bolillos de Cuenca
Bobbin lace from Cuenca — the most active surviving bobbin lace tradition in Castile, using silk bobbins (bolillos de seda) to produce the characteristic Cuenca black silk lace (blonda negra) and white cotton lace. The Cuenca tradition is closely related to the Belgian and Flemish bobbin lace traditions (transmission via the 16th-century Flemish community in Castile) but has developed distinct local patterns — particularly the almendra (almond) motif and the pajarita (little bird) that appear in the Cuenca pillow lace tradition.
Risk level: Vulnerable · Not listed; included in Spanish Intangible Heritage inventory
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