Ein new getruckt model Büchli...Page 25, recto 1529

Editor: We're looking at a page from "Ein new getruckt model Büchli," created in 1529 by Johann Schönsperger the Younger. It's an ink drawing and print on paper, currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It seems like some kind of notation system. What do you see in this piece? Curator: This seemingly simple page pulsates with a forgotten energy. These aren't mere numbers, but symbolic instructions – a language of craft and making, deeply tied to its era. Consider the repetitive nature, the columns: they evoke the rhythmic movements of a craftsman, a weaver perhaps. Think of how each number could dictate a colour, a stitch, a movement, laden with subtle cultural meaning within that guild or workshop. Editor: So, the patterns themselves have meaning, beyond just the literal instructions? Curator: Precisely! Imagine the cultural memory embedded here. This book likely circulated amongst artisans. The symbols served not just as directions, but as a kind of shared visual shorthand, reinforcing their communal identity. What feeling do you get when you think about the use of these symbols and how knowledge may have been hidden to outsiders? Editor: It feels like a secret language, only for those who understand. A way to keep the traditions alive. I hadn't thought about it as an expression of community before. Curator: And how does this notation tie into the visual tradition of its time? Is it wholly new or part of the visual continuum? Consider medieval bestiaries with allegorical illustrations; these numerical patterns are akin, coded visual tools intended to deliver symbolic cultural expression to initiates. Editor: I'm starting to see the work as a series of interconnected ideas from history, like codes in illuminated manuscripts that relate to shared societal traditions. Thanks for illuminating that for me!