Page "Tatting" Paragraph 22

Some believe tatting originated over 200 years ago, often citing shuttles seen in eighteenth century paintings of women such as Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Madame Adelaide ( daughter of Louis XV of France ), and Anne, Countess of Albemarle.

A close inspection of those paintings shows that the shuttles in question are too large to be tatting shuttles, and that they are actually knotting shuttles.

There is no documentation, nor any examples of tatted lace, that date prior to 1800.

All of the available evidence shows that tatting originated in the early 19th century.