Libbretto nouellamete composto per maestro Domenico da Sera...lauorare di ogni sorte di punti, page 16 (verso) 1532

This is page 16 from a stitch pattern book made by Domenico da Sera in Venice sometime in the 16th century. It's a woodcut, a printmaking technique where the artist carves an image into a block of wood, inks it, and then presses it onto paper. The book was meant to guide lacemakers and embroiderers, providing them with intricate designs they could then translate into thread. Notice how the patterns are built up from small, square units. This modular quality reflects the grid-like structure of woven fabric, where every stitch is carefully placed to create the overall image. These weren't just abstract exercises, they were instructions for *making*, intended to be reproduced through hours of skilled handwork. Consider the labor involved in both the woodcutter's meticulous carving, and the lacemaker's patient stitching. It's a reminder that even seemingly simple designs have complex origins, interwoven with histories of craft, skill, and human effort.