New Künstlichs Modelbuch (Page 32 recto) 1600

This is a page from Bernhard Jobin’s "New Künstlichs Modelbuch," a woodcut pattern book, made in sixteenth-century Strasbourg. Here we see patterns intended for the needle, featuring repeating floral motifs, which were popular at the time. The stylized flowers carry echoes of ancient symbols of fertility and renewal, appearing across cultures in various forms from the Minoan frescoes to the tapestries of the Middle Ages. Notice how the symmetry in these patterns creates a sense of harmony. It is a visual echo of nature's own order. Consider how the flower, a universal symbol of life, is abstracted here into geometric forms. In many cultures, the unfolding of a flower is a powerful metaphor for spiritual awakening, a concept that goes as far back as ancient Egyptian art and continues to resonate in modern symbolism. These patterns, therefore, are not merely decorative. They are potent visual reminders of life's cyclical nature.