Blackwork Design for Goldsmithwork with Monkey, Birds, and Insects 1582 - 1616

Mathias Beitler made this blackwork design for goldsmiths in the early 17th century, likely in Germany, using pen and ink. The image presents a seemingly random assortment of creatures - a monkey, birds, insects – scattered across a small rectangular space. These images were pattern templates that goldsmiths used to decorate precious objects. But the images chosen are not neutral. Monkeys, for instance, often appear in early modern art to signify foolishness or mockery. Likewise, insects and bats are traditionally symbols of the wild or untamed. The act of extracting these creatures and placing them on gold objects raises questions. What does it mean to bring the wild into refined spaces? Is it a celebration of nature's bounty or a subtle commentary on the futility of trying to contain it? To understand this, we can look at emblem books and bestiaries, popular during that period, which ascribed symbolic meanings to animals. The image, and the act of its creation, can tell us much about the cultural values of the time.