La Vera Perfettione del Disegno di varie sorti di recami, page 37 (recto) 1567

This is a page from ‘La Vera Perfettione del Disegno’ by Giovanni Ostaus, printed sometime in the 16th or 17th century. The page presents various patterns for embroidery designs featuring motifs such as floral elements and birds rendered in a grid-like style. Consider the symbol of the bird—a motif traversing cultures and epochs. Birds here are decorative, but they echo ancient longings for freedom. Think of Egyptian soul-birds, or the phoenix rising. Over time, the bird became more symbolic of messengers, spirits, or guides. This design and these birds remind us of tapestries, and so much earlier, of cave paintings. These forms endure because they tap into something primal. The human psyche connects with such art on a deep, often subconscious level, drawn by rhythm, by pattern, and by symbols laden with accumulated cultural meaning. It is a dance of cultural memory, resonating through the ages.