Trionfo Di Virtu. Libro Novo..., page 6 (verso) 1563

This is page six from "Trionfo Di Virtu. Libro Novo...", a woodcut made by Matteo Pagano in Venice, sometime in the mid- to late-sixteenth century. This was a period of immense social change. The rise of mercantile capitalism, new forms of religious expression, and new institutions for scientific investigation were emerging. Books of lace-making patterns such as this one were very popular in Venice. They were explicitly designed to allow women access to participate in these emerging markets and to produce saleable goods from the home. Note the geometric patterns of crosses and diamonds that dominate the page. The pattern books are interesting objects for social historians. We learn from them about the intimate lives of women, their economic activities, and the complex interplay between domesticity and the marketplace. These books give us insights into the changing roles of women in Venetian society. Further research can establish how these patterns and skills were transmitted, used and adapted across the early modern world.