Komt hier nu kinders reyn / en lees dees vogels al / Gy hebt met groot en kleyn / hier hondert in het getal 1805 - 1808

This 17th-century engraving by Johannes Bouwer presents us with a fascinating grid of birds, each neatly framed, inviting us to count them. But these are more than mere ornithological studies; birds, as symbols, carry profound cultural weight. Consider the dove, for instance. Here, it is just one among many, yet its symbolic journey stretches back millennia. In ancient Mesopotamia, doves were associated with Ishtar, the goddess of love and war. This connection migrated to the Greco-Roman world, linking doves to Aphrodite and Venus, emblems of love and peace. Yet, the dove’s trajectory doesn’t end there. Christianity adopted the dove as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, forever linking it to purity, hope, and reconciliation. The emotional resonance of these symbols is powerful. Our collective memory, shaped by centuries of art, literature, and religious practices, imbues these images with a life of their own. The bird on this page evokes a sense of nostalgia, reminding us of the enduring power of symbols to connect us to our past. The dove, in its cyclical journey, embodies how symbols are not static but continually evolve, acquiring new layers of meaning with each reappearance.