Ghirlanda: Di sei vaghi fiori scielti da piu famosi Giardini d'Italia, page 32 (recto) 1604

This is page 32 from 'Ghirlanda: Di sei vaghi fiori scielti da piu famosi Giardini d'Italia', a book of lace patterns printed in Italy in the early 17th century. The design is made from crisp lines etched into a metal plate, which would have been inked and then pressed onto paper. In its time, this book was a pattern source for lacemakers, demonstrating the geometric vocabulary that defined the craft. The imagery elevates lace beyond mere utility; these designs are presented as precious ‘flowers’ gathered from Italy’s finest gardens. Printed patterns like these supported the spread of fashionable lace, creating both opportunity and new forms of labor. The mechanization of lace production was still centuries away, meaning that the value was in the intense handwork required. By appreciating the relationship between design, reproduction, and labor, we can see this object as an early artifact of globalized fashion – and a reminder that the most delicate creations often have complex origins.