Pretiosa Gemma delle virtuose donne, page 5 (recto) 1600

This page comes from a book of lace patterns, Pretiosa Gemma delle virtuose donne, made by Isabella Catanea Parasole around the turn of the 17th century. It was printed using a woodblock. This was a relatively inexpensive method of reproducing images, but still demanded a high degree of skill to execute. The pattern has a graphic quality, a careful arrangement of repeated motifs, and clear, legible instructions for artisans. Lace making, then as now, was painstaking work, often done by women. Books like this allowed for the standardization of designs, and the distribution of patterns across great distances. It brings to mind the division of labor, and the role of both designer and maker. Parasole was exceptional for her time, a woman who managed her own career as a printmaker. Looking at the intricate detail of this pattern, one can only imagine the hours of skilled labor that would be required to bring it into being as lace. In its way, this humble page asks us to consider the relationship between design and craft.