La Pratique de l'Aiguille, page 42 (recto) 1605

This is a page from Matthias Mignerak’s book ‘La Pratique de l'Aiguille’, a manual showcasing different patterns for lacework. Focusing on the central motif of a stylized flower, consider its enduring presence across cultures. The flower, in its myriad forms, symbolizes life, death, and rebirth. In ancient Egypt, lotus flowers represented the sun and resurrection, motifs echoed in later religious art. Think of Botticelli's "Primavera," where flowers scattered across the meadow suggest fertility and renewal, emotions deeply embedded in the collective unconscious, surfacing throughout history. The geometric abstraction of flowers in Mignerak’s work may seem distant from Botticelli's naturalism, yet both tap into this same reservoir of human experience, demonstrating how symbols evolve, carrying echoes of the past into the present.