Vertical Panel with Design for a Pendant, from Ars His Myronis Nobilis Effingitus Pagellulis 1595 - 1605

This Vertical Panel with Design for a Pendant was made by Paul Birckenhultz, using the technique of engraving. It’s essentially an instruction manual for a very skilled goldsmith. The design has a clear symmetry and a hierarchy of motifs. Look at the cherubic figures at the very top, their forms echoed further down by sphinxes. Then there are the geometric elements, the tassles, and the pendant jewels. The image is so clear, so precise, that you can imagine a craftsperson following it exactly to create a wearable piece of jewelry. Engraving like this allowed for distribution of designs, a democratization of access to new ideas. Yet, the actual making would have been highly specialized work. This print speaks volumes about the division of labor and the social stratifications that determined who got to design, and who got to make.