A New Era of Domestic Industry
Dobrota lace lives and breathes through hands. Hands that wait, embrace, build, and overcome the toughest battles. It endures through the hands that strive to preserve it from oblivion, from the cruelty of time, and from fleeting trends. These hands carry the burden of women across more than five centuries, creating a path where new patterns will become works of art.
Named after a picturesque Adriatic village of Dobrota at the outskirts of the ancient town of Kotor at the Montenegrin Kotor Bay, Dobrota lace represents a local variation of reticella, a Venetian lace influenced by the techniques of Eastern and Western Mediterranean as well as Western Europe. These techniques evolved from the coarser method of thread intertwining and knotting to the refined Renaissance lace crafted with a needle. The needle lace technique is associated with Venice, while bobbin lace (interlacing and knotting) originates from the Antwerp region in Belgium.
“The Baroque man built solid houses and palaces, constructed and adorned churches, and sailed across seas and oceans, searching and warring, while the woman embraced her children, carefully preserved the home and hearth, and with her white embroidery enriched clothing and interior spaces in homes, churches, and family chapels,” wrote Radojka Abramović, senior curator at the Maritime Museum of Montenegro, on the occasion of an exhibition of Dobrota lace from the Radimir family collection.
Dobrota lace was officially recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of Montenegro in 2013. According to Ljubica Krivokapić, an art historian at the Public Institution “Museums” of Kotor, this was an important step in valuing this heritage. However, she emphasizes that intangible heritage cannot survive without people who will breathe life into it. In line with the goal of preserving the craft of Dobrota lace-making, the Public Institution “Museums” of Kotor has, for the past four years, organized workshops to teach this authentic textile art, instilling in women the sense and meaning of materializing emotions.
From Guardians of Tradition to Symbols of Time:
The Historical Evolution of Dobrota Lace
Lacemaking reached its artistic peak in Boka Kotorska, and among its most beautiful expressions is Dobrota lace, crafted with white embroidery. This art traces its origins to Burano-Venetian lace, believed to have arrived in Montenegro through sailors. The earliest laceworks were small pieces of embroidered white fabric, made by women to be placed over their faces upon death.
By the richness and beauty of its white embroidery and border lace, the collection of church garments stands out. Once white women’s coverings, over time, disappeared from Boka Kotorska’s traditional attireand becamedecorative elements of church altars. Theoldest example of an altar cloth made with a single needle dates back to the early 16th century, while most others originate from the 18th century. Over time, lace was increasingly made as a border decoration for various parts of clothing, bed covers, tablecloths, and similar items. The production of this lace requires a great deal of effort, and it is unique because it is actually embroidered rather than crocheted. The golden rule of Dobrota embroideryis thatone must never take another’s pattern, as each lace-maker createsher own unique motif.
Among the most treasured collections of white embroidered church garments is the one found in the Church of St. Eustace in Dobrota, containing 38 altar cloths, 32 hand towels, and nine mass shirts. These items were largely preserved thanks to the dedication of Father Gracija Ivanović, a longtime priest from a distinguished Dobrota family. In the 1960s, this collection was removed from daily use and categorized as a heritage collection. However, the 1979 earthquake caused irreparable damage to many delicate textile artifacts, and the signs of this devastation remain visible today. In the devastating earthquake, they shared the fate of the damaged sacred buildings, but the delicate textile material suffered even greater and often irreparable damage, which remains clearly visible to this day. Belonging to the same category of significant heritage artifacts, several examples of church linen textiles can also be found in: St. Tryphon’s Cathedral in Kotor, the Church of St. Nicholas in Perast, the Church of St. Mary Help of Christians in Muo.
From the 15th to 19th centuries, the practice of embroidering Dobrota lace as a votive offering to churches was common. However, in the 20th century, this tradition diminished significantly, with the last known donation occurring in 1938, when a lace altar cloth was presented to the Church of St. Mary Help of Christians in Muo. This altar cloth, measuring 330×58 cm, features seven different lace motifs repeated along its entire length. Archival records state that Jozica (Pina), daughter of Gracija Marović, worked on these Venetian-Dobrota laces for nine months, and they were highly valued. Today, this piece is displayed only once a year, on November 9, for the feast of Blessed Gracija.
Photo: Ljubica Krivokapić
Embroidery as a Storytelling Medium:
Dobrota Lace as Women’s Art
“Dobrota lace is crafted exclusively by women, as it has been throughout history. It is entirely an individual craft that requires personal creativity, dedication, and significant time. It is made using a sewing needle and crochet thread, worked mostly with the eye of the needle rather than the tip, with hand movements similar to embroidery. The motif of Dobrota lace is always an object or phenomenon from nature that is never repeated in another piece. The design, pattern, or draft is created exclusively with white thread on a white background. Dobrota lace can be part of clothing, a functional or decorative item, but always as an ornamental detail,” explained Nadežda Nada Radović, a professor of Yugoslav literature and Serbian-Croatian language. She added that Dobrota lace can also be created independently as a framed artwork or a miniature piece.
To make Dobrota lace, artisans usea needle, thread, thimble, and scissors. The lace is created over thin white paper, which is fixed to a firmer base. Professor Nada Radović, born in 1938 in the Old town of Kotor, is the only known artisan documented in this researchwho has traditionally engaged in making Dobrota lace or Dobrota embroidery. According to her own account, she mastered the technique of making Dobrota lace in 1964, learning it from sisters Anđica and Pina Luković from Prčanj. As she recalls, Anđica (married Đurović) and her sister Pina were students at the Workers’ School in Kotor, where their domestic economy teacher, Borka Milošević, taught embroidery and handicrafts. The students, including Anđica and Pina, learned various techniques, including Richelieu embroidery, Toledo lace, white embroidery, color embroidery, and Dobrota embroidery. These two sisters acquired their Dobrota lace skills at this school, and Anđica Đurović later passed her knowledge on to Nada Radović. Radović inherited a passion for needlework from her mother, who, while unfamiliar with the Dobrota lace technique, was skilled in white embroidery and Richelieu embroidery.
Many archival materials confirm that Dobrota lace was a women’s craft, highlighting its role in the development of domestic industry and efforts to revitalize this tradition in a modern context with a vision for the future.
The “Cetinje Museums Journal” explains that once Levantine goods, believed to have strongly influenced the motifs and geometric patterns of Dobrota lace, became part of Western fashion, textile-making techniques for both household and church items, as well as fashion accessories, changed significantly. Previously, within closed female circles, lace-making techniques were passed down orally through generations in a non-graphic environment. Older women transmitted their skills directly to younger ones, particularly to the youngest among them. This highly skilled craft was acquired from early childhood, with girls as young as five or six beginning to learn how to handle a needle. Traditional knowledge was passed down through observation of completed works within the household, family, or broader community. These practices were preserved in the unwritten traditions of women’s circles, ensuring continuity through direct oral instruction rather than written patterns or drafts. This method helped maintain the authenticity of folklore heritage, with techniques being transmitted through generations while undergoing only gradual stylistic and technical changes. How it is explained in “Cetinje Museums Jounal”, by the mid-16th century, society had already recognized the value of women’s craftsmanship, and their work had gained external demand. Women regularly donated liturgical garments to their churches, particularly textile altar decorations, which they crafted in their own homes. Evidence of this tradition exists in Kotor as early as the 14th century. In 1333, Jelena from the Drago family left a bequest to monasteries in Dubrovnik, Kotor, and Ulcinj, donating altar cloths, mass shirts, and various other liturgical garments.
Revitalizing Heritage:
Dobrota Lace Between Past and Future
The Household School in Dobrota, the Circle of Serbian Sisters – School of Handicrafts, and the Slavic Reading Room in Dobrota – Boka Kotorska Women’s Association were the most significant centers for learning Dobrota embroidery in the 19th century. According to a curator Ljubica Krivokapić, the validation and preservation of this intangible cultural heritage serve as a model for the schools that the Museums of Kotor institution has been organizing for the past four years. However, she believes that this is not a strong enough connection to prevent Dobrota lace from being tied solely to the past. She emphasizes the need to instill awareness in people that Dobrota lace, also known as white gold, is of immeasurable significance to Montenegro’s cultural heritage. While the current workshops attract primarily older women, it is crucial to engage younger generations, as the future of this art form rests in their hands.
“The goal is to reintroduce lace-making education in schools, at least as an elective subject”, said Krivokapić, noting that the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture and Media must recognize its importance.
In a conversation with Natalija Maksić, owner of a Dobrota lace souvenir shop, she revealed that next year, in collaboration with the relevant ministries, a Dobrota lace-making school will be launched at a high school in Kotor. This initiative presents a fantastic opportunity for her to share her knowledge and skills with young, interested students. For the past 20 years, Maksić has been actively reviving the tradition of Dobrota lace, ensuring that it does not fade into oblivion. Her mission is to preserve the authenticity of the embroidery, similar to the sacred textiles preserved in the Church of St. Eustace in Dobrota, while also adding her personal artistic touch.
“Dobrota lace is embroidered into fabric, on the edges—that is its originality. However, I allow myself the creative freedom to apply this exquisite embroidery to everyday objects, such as mugs, handbags, and jewelry”, said Maksić, adding that the future of this delicate art lies in preserving its essence while adapting it to modern applications. Maksić also reflected on the successful preservation and branding of Pag lace, a Croatian lace-making tradition from the island of Pag, which shares similarities with Dobrota lace.
“Croatia recognized the significance of these handmade crafts, protected Pag lace, and turned it into a brand that represents an important cultural and artistic development in the country”, Maksić pointed out, emphasizing that Montenegro must do the same, as the benefits would be mutual.
Maksić and Krivokapić agreed that in the era of globalization, increasing Westernization, and cultural homogenization, it is time to return to traditional values and customs. They believe that an essential step in revitalizing Dobrota lace is establishing a permanent exhibition space in Kotor, which would serve as a focal point for showcasing the significance, beauty, and value of this heritage.
Photo: Private archive
The application of Dobrota lace in modern creative industries is demonstrated by the original idea of designer Iva Đurović, author of the master’s thesis Application of Morphological Patterns of Dobrota Lace in Graphic and Industrial Design.
“By systematizing material gathered through extensive interdisciplinary research and using a rich photographic archive, the study included an analysis of the specific morphology of Dobrota lace patterns, followed by the selection of characteristic and visually interesting ornamental details. The original ornaments of Dobrota lace possess a unique sensitivity, with subtle variations and geometric imperfections shaped by the human hand. By creating new, contemporary ornaments and patterns using the digital language of AutoCAD software, mathematically precise geometric drawings were developed”, the thesis highlights that the primary aesthetic values of the ornamentation found in unique preserved pieces of white embroidery were used as references for designing new, modern patterns.
As long as there are people who recognize the significance of Dobrota lace, it will continue to live. The question remains how willing society is to initiate efforts that will further protect this intangible cultural heritage.
In discussions with experts dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Dobrota lace, it was concluded that implementing a series of concrete measures is essential to securing its permanent place in the cultural heritage of Montenegro and beyond. One such step would be the establishment of a permanent exhibition space for Dobrota lace in Kotor, serving not only as a showcase for its most valuable examples but also as an educational center where the skill of lace-making could be passed on to new generations.
It is also important to initiate the process of including Dobrota lace on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage, which would grant it international recognition and additional protection. Finally, collaboration with contemporary designers and creative industries could introduce new applications for Dobrota lace, ensuring its authenticity while adapting it to the needs of modern society. These steps, taken together, would ensure that Dobrota lace remains a living tradition that inspires and connects generations while simultaneously promoting Montenegro as a guardian of unique cultural heritage.