Libbretto nouellamete composto per maestro Domenico da Sera...lauorare di ogni sorte di punti, page 9 (verso) 1532

This is a page from a book of embroidery patterns, printed by Domenico da Sera in Venice, sometime in the 16th century. The patterns in this book would have been used for decorating clothing and household items. The image creates meaning through its symbolic references; we can see the letters IHS which is a Christogram, a symbolic representation of Jesus' name. Given its clear religious symbolism, we might reasonably assume that this pattern would have been used for ecclesiastical garments or altar cloths. The production of such an item would signal the piety and wealth of the individual who commissioned it. To fully understand the pattern books, we must ask questions about the social conditions that shape artistic production. Who was producing textiles at this time? What was the role of the guilds? What was the relationship between Venice and the church? These are the kinds of questions that historians ask to understand the true meaning of art.