Opera Nova Universali intitulata Corona di racammi, page 22 (verso) 1530

This is page 22 from "Opera Nova Universali intitulata Corona di racammi", printed by Giovanni Andrea Vavassore in Venice, sometime in the mid-16th century. It’s an instruction manual, made using a woodcut technique. The bold lines we see are the result of carving away at a block of wood, then inking the remaining surface to create a print. The image itself is a pattern for embroidery, and in its making, it bridges the gap between industrial production and the craft skills of women in the home. Vavassore was part of a larger trend, responding to the rise of a middle class with disposable income and an appetite for decorative textiles. Publishing these patterns allowed for the relatively cheap dissemination of designs, which could then be realized through countless hours of labor with needle and thread. In a way, this print encapsulates the dynamics of early capitalism – a system that thrives on the division between creative design and manual work. By focusing on the material reality of the embroidery, we can better understand the broader social context in which it was made and consumed.