Libbretto nouellamete composto per maestro Domenico da Sera...lauorare di ogni sorte di punti, page 20 (recto) 1532

This is page 20 from a stitch pattern book, made by Domenico da Sera in Venice during the 16th century. It’s made with ink on paper, and it’s not just a drawing. It’s more like a technical diagram. Each mark on the page is a stitch waiting to happen. Note how the patterns are built up through careful arrangements of individual, tiny squares. This reveals a deep understanding of textile structure and the way patterns emerge through repetitive actions. In its own way, this book is as impressive as any painting. It’s a record of immense patience and skill, and it speaks to the social importance of needlework during the Renaissance. It would have been the labor of women, in particular, that transformed these designs into actual objects. This was creative work – craft – but not considered “high art” at the time. The pattern book reminds us that all design has its origins in the hand. And that all handmade things originate in someone’s imagination.