Corona delle Nobile et Virtuose Donne, Libro Terzo, page 12 (recto) 1620

This is a page from "Corona delle Nobile et Virtuose Donne", or "Crown of Noble and Virtuous Women," made by Cesare Vecellio, around the late 16th century. This pattern book offered templates for lacemakers and embroiderers during the Renaissance. Reflecting a time of shifting social roles, the book catered to women who were increasingly engaging in artistic and economic activities within the domestic sphere. Vecellio acknowledges the artistry of women when he states that his intention is to display the "excellent and very ingenious inventions of women." However, the title itself, “Crown of Noble and Virtuous Women”, positions women in terms of their social status and moral qualities, rather than their creativity or skill. The geometric design of the pattern, incorporating human figures and abstract motifs, speaks to the ornamental aesthetics of the era. The patterns suggest both the constraints and opportunities afforded to women, whose identities were often circumscribed by ideals of nobility and virtue, even as they sought avenues for expression and agency through art.