Stamboek van voorschreve kleine staf Possibly 1836

This striking cover, titled ‘Stamboek van voorschreve kleine staf’ by the Gebroeders van Cleef, features a heart-shaped cartouche at its center, filled with inscription. The heart, ubiquitous today as a symbol of love, has far deeper roots. In antiquity, the heart was not associated with romantic love but was rather believed to be the seat of memory, intellect, and courage. Think of Aristotle, who considered the heart the central organ of intelligence. The symbol’s transition into the emblem of love we recognize today can be traced through medieval courtly love traditions, where the heart began to be linked with romantic emotion. The persistence of such symbols reveals how visual motifs evolve, carrying layers of meaning across cultures and epochs. The heart’s journey, from a center of cognition to an emblem of affection, shows how our collective subconscious shapes and reshapes symbols over time.