New Künstlichs Modelbuch (Page 8 recto) 1600

This is page 8 from the New Künstlichs Modelbuch, made by Bernhard Jobin in the late 16th century. It's a woodcut, so a design is carved into a block of wood, which is then inked and printed onto paper. The design provides patterns for needle lace, a type of early lace made using a needle and thread to create open, airy designs. You can see that the repeating geometric grid is overlaid with organic motifs – flowers, leaves and vines. The materiality of needle lace is crucial here. The maker could follow Jobin’s designs closely, or interpret them more freely. But the labor to produce these laces was intense. Printing these model books made the designs more widely available, democratizing access to fashionable designs. So, we see the beginning of a shift from handmade to something closer to mass production. The history of craft and fine art are interwoven with these social dynamics, raising questions about the value of skilled work in an increasingly industrial world.