Schön Neues Modelbuch (Page 22 recto) 1597

This is page 22 from Johann Sibmacher’s Schön Neues Modelbuch, a book of model designs, made around the turn of the 17th century in what is now Germany. It’s a woodcut, a relatively cheap and easily reproduced medium, showing geometrical patterns arranged in horizontal bands. These designs were intended as guides for embroiderers and lacemakers, mostly women working within the household. Printed books like this one played a crucial role in the history of textiles. They standardized patterns, making new designs available to a wider public and shaping tastes across geographic space. This page provides a window into early modern domestic life, revealing the growing importance of decoration and fashion in a rapidly changing society. As historians, we consult pattern books, inventories, and other archival sources to understand the social and cultural meanings of textiles in the past. The interpretation of art relies upon understanding its institutional and cultural context.