Convivio delle Belle Donne, page 5 (recto) 1532

This is a page of woodcut patterns, printed by Nicolò Zoppino in Venice, sometime around the early 16th century. It comes from a book of designs intended for the embellishment of lace and textiles, and the title, "Convivio delle Belle Donne," suggests the patterns were aimed at elite women, for the design of clothing and domestic decoration, as well as for professional lacemakers in Venice. The designs are arranged in vertical rectangular panels filled with stylized foliate and floral motifs that combine symmetry with organic, curvilinear forms. The patterns reflect a broader interest in ornamentation and design that was popular in Venice at this time, as well as the city’s central role in the textile trade and its highly stratified class structure. The survival of pattern books like this one allows us to consider the relationship between art, commerce, and the everyday lives of women in Renaissance Italy. We can trace the social history of these patterns through costume books, inventories, and other archival sources.