Les Secondes Oeuvres, et Subtiles Inventions De Lingerie du Seigneur Federic de Vinciolo Venitien, page 45 (recto) 1603

This is page 45 from Federico de Vinciolo's book, printed in Venice, showcasing intricate lace patterns through woodcut. The dominant grid structure echoes the rational order sought during the Renaissance, yet within it lies a world of ancient symbols. Observe the recurring lozenge motif – a diamond shape. This form, dating back to Paleolithic art, represents fertility and the vulva. We find it adorning goddesses and powerful female figures across various cultures, from ancient Crete to the Americas. Notice how the arrangement of squares and crosses also echoes cosmological diagrams. These symbols aren't merely decorative. They tap into collective memory, whispering of primal connections to life, death, and regeneration. Such imagery, charged with symbolic weight, continues to resurface. It adapts, evolves, and yet retains a link to its archaic origins. Through Vinciolo's lace patterns, the past is subtly woven into the present.