Detail of a stretch of yak lace.
Photograph Embroiderers's Guild of Western Australia
Yak lace is a form of guipure (bobbin) lace. It was made in England in imitation of Maltese and Greek laces. It was generally made of woollen yarns (certainly not exclusively yak). It became popular from the mid-nineteenth century. For guipure laces, see also Genoese lace, Bedfordshire lace, Cluny lace and Maltese lace.
Because of the (elastic) quality of the material, it soon lost its popular appeal, although it was a relatively cheap way to produce a thick lace.
See Wikipedia entry (accessed 8 May 2021) and entry in collection catalogue of the Embroiderers' Guild of Western Australia (accessed 8 May 2021).
Source illustration (8 May 2021).