Lace was once one of the most valuable textiles in Europe, frequently produced in convents and orphanages to adorn the clothing and furnishings of the wealthy. Its astronomical cost compelled King Louis XIV of France (1638–1715) to pass a law in 1660 barring French courtiers from buying foreign lace and thus spending vast sums outside the domestic economy. In response, the Controller-General of Finances Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619–1683) established royal lace manufacturers across France, enticing foreign lacemakers to train local women. Royal support of the French lace industry enabled the production of incredibly fine work—taking at least one hour per square inch to make—on a massive scale. Point de France, as the new style came to be called, had a symmetrically repeated miniature pattern and was lightweight. Numerous hands would have created this wide decorative flounce, likely made for a bed, depicting a garden scene with a regal figure—perhaps Louis XIV himself.