bobbin lace comparable to fine Brussels lace in thread, technique, and design; but whether it was made in England or Brussels or both is debatable. To encourage home industries, both England and France had laws in the 1660s prohibiting the importation of Brussels lace, which was much in demand. To circumvent these laws, merchants bought Brussels lace and took it, often by smuggling, to England and to France (which had no restrictions against English lace) for sale as point d'Angleterre.