Title Plate, from Pendant Designs with Deities in Niches and Flower-Arabesques 1530 - 1573

This print showing pendant designs with deities in niches and flower arabesques was made in Antwerp by Jan Collaert I in the late 16th century. It's an engraving, a medium that allowed for detailed replication and distribution of designs. The elaborate symmetry and interwoven patterns reflect the aesthetic values of the Northern Renaissance. Consider the social context: Antwerp was a booming center of trade and culture. This print reveals the importance of ornament and jewelry in expressing status and wealth. The inclusion of "CVM PRIVILEGIO" indicates a protected copyright, highlighting the emerging economic structures around artistic production at this time. It is an early engagement with intellectual property. To understand this work fully, we can consult inventories of jewelry from the period, guild records, and publications documenting design trends. Through such research, we appreciate how art is embedded in the social and institutional history of its time.