] And it made me wonder--was Jane Austen using this symbolically? I doubt it's a coincidence, and it suits Lucy. If you think about the filigree baskets, they are very pretty to look at, but would have no functional purpose other than that. They wouldn't be able to hold or carry anything...

And not only that, but to go through all that tedious, painstaking effort (by candlelight!) just for a child who would no doubt have it torn apart and dirtied by the end of the morning! It's all very perfect for Lucy - fashionable, shallow, calculated.