Corona delle Nobile et Virtuose Donne, Libro Terzo, page 6 (recto) 1620

Curator: At first glance, I'm struck by the whimsical nature of this black and white print, with these strange winged figures holding what seem to be crowned birds on leashes. It evokes a slightly unsettling, yet ornate fairy tale. Editor: We’re looking at page six from Book Three of Cesare Vecellio’s “Corona delle Nobile et Virtuose Donne,” which translates to "Crowns of Noble and Virtuous Women". It was published in 1620 and features engraving as its medium. It’s part of the Met's collection. Vecellio was compiling patterns, primarily for lace and embroidery. Curator: That makes perfect sense! Now I see that what seemed surreal are motifs. It’s like a catalog of accessible yet elaborate designs available to artisans and upper-class women alike. There’s something empowering in that accessibility of beauty. Editor: Precisely. Vecellio operated within a context where fashion, domestic crafts and imagery were deeply connected to identity and social standing. This book helped spread Italian designs throughout Europe, influencing material culture for decades. Curator: These repeating patterns, particularly the bird motifs, remind me of textiles in non-western contexts where animals serve as symbols of power or good fortune. It makes me wonder about the bird’s symbolism within a distinctly European framework of early modern gender roles. The winged figures holding these crowned birds are quite something to consider. Is it power? Is it restriction? What's their relationship to femininity? Editor: Well, that’s where we can dig into what the book as a whole signifies. The idea of crowns bestowed upon noble and virtuous women points towards constructed ideals. And the use of grotesque imagery suggests a playfulness with established visual languages that could either reinforce those ideals, or maybe subtly question them. Curator: A potent blend indeed! It speaks to the complexity of women's roles in the 17th century. Examining fashion and domestic craft within a specific sociopolitical lens can truly reveal such interesting subtleties. Editor: Yes, it demonstrates how visual culture, seemingly benign in function, plays a crucial role in conveying ideological structures and social hierarchies, ones we still contend with today.