Neu künstlich Modelbuch (page 4r) 1598

Editor: This is a page from "Neu künstlich Modelbuch," or New Artful Pattern Book, created in 1598 by Bernhard Jobin. It’s a print—an engraving, to be precise. It strikes me as interesting how a potentially mass-produced object contains so much handmade labor in its creation. What do you make of this piece? Curator: It's fascinating to consider these Modelbücher as commodities themselves. Produced through laborious engraving, they were ultimately tools – instructional manuals for other forms of making. Consider the socio-economic implications: Who owned these books? Who used the patterns, and what does it say about the materials they were then able to produce, or garments to adorn? Editor: So you're saying the value isn't just in the print itself, but in what it enables? Who was likely to purchase and use something like this? Curator: Exactly. The geometric patterns and stylized animal figures suggest designs for embroidery or lacework. These books were aimed at a burgeoning class of artisans and wealthy households who sought fashionable adornment. Their textiles created an outward expression of wealth and sophistication that would signify access to a consumer network beyond necessary fabrics. Think of this book as not just art, but an instruction manual central to a web of commodity exchange, and how this print democratized the accessibility of designs to fuel that industry. Editor: I see…it provided a means of production and material output beyond the image itself, for use by others. That reframes my understanding of it significantly. Thanks. Curator: It underscores how seemingly simple images were integral components of a broader system of production and consumption. Seeing these kinds of historical books as integral commodities reshapes our perception of their cultural and historical role in that era.