La Vera Perfettione del Disegno di varie sorti di recami, page 37 (verso) 1567

This page, created around 1600 by Giovanni Ostaus, is from a manual intended to teach the craft of embroidery. Printed on paper, the design gives a sense of woven threads, organized as a grid. The print is made with a woodcut, a process where the areas around the lines are carved away, leaving a raised surface to receive ink. The linear quality of the pattern is well-suited to the medium, since the knife moves easily through the wood. Embroidery was, and remains, a slow, patient art. This page is a testament to the knowledge economy that developed around craft production. As the demand for expertly made textiles increased, so too did the need for efficient ways to disseminate patterns. These manuals democratized access to design, enabling more makers to participate in the creation of beautiful objects. It makes us consider the labor involved not only in the embroidery itself, but also in the skilled craft of printing that made its replication possible.