Bookplate of Hilprant Brandenburg (Schr. 2038) 15th century

This is an anonymous bookplate made for Hilprant Brandenburg, its date is unknown, and it is housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The print presents a symmetrical composition dominated by a heraldic shield. The angel, with wings of red and green, supports a blue shield featuring a stag, its white coat contrasting against the azure background. What we see here is not just a family emblem, but a complex interplay of signs. The visual elements, such as the stag, the colors, and the angel, function as semiotic markers that would have conveyed specific meanings to those familiar with the heraldic code of the time. The lines in the work create shapes and also designate symbolic spaces. The angel, the protector, supports and presents the family's identity, coded in the emblem. As viewers, we are left to interpret the interplay between these visual components, understanding that the bookplate is a testament to identity and social standing within a specific cultural context.