Ornamento delle belle & virtuose donne, page 23 (verso) 1554

This is page 23 from ‘Ornamento delle belle & virtuose donne’, a book of lace patterns printed by Matteo Pagano in Venice. The geometric patterns evoke a sense of order, but look closer, and you see something more. The designs, rendered in stark black and white, utilize a cross motif. This symbol, of course, predates Christianity, appearing in ancient cultures to represent the sun, the four elements, or the meeting of the spiritual and material worlds. In this book, made for women to create lace, the cross has been domesticated into a tool for the home. The image, like a dream, is packed with unspoken desires and fears. The act of repeating patterns is not merely decorative; it’s a way of managing chaos, a ritual to ward off the unknown. This impulse connects us to the ancients, to the weavers of Byzantium, and beyond. The cross, whether in a cathedral or on a piece of lace, remains a potent symbol, a constant in our ever-changing world.