Pretiosa Gemma delle virtuose donne, page 12 (recto) 1600

This is page 12 from "Pretiosa Gemma delle virtuose donne" by Isabella Catanea Parasole, an Italian artist from around 1600. This pattern book is a jewel box for virtuous women, a guide to the intricate art of lacework known as "Lavoro a ponto reticella." The geometric motifs of Parasole's reticella work aren’t mere decoration. The star and wheel shapes carry echoes of ancient solar symbols, representing light, knowledge and cosmic order. These symbols recur across cultures and through millennia, from ancient Mesopotamian sun disks to Renaissance emblems of divine wisdom. Consider the wheel: in antiquity it represented the sun's cyclical journey, a metaphor for eternal return. Over time, it morphed into a symbol of fortune, constantly turning, bringing both joy and sorrow. Parasole's choice of these shapes taps into a deep well of collective memory, evoking a sense of timeless order and hidden, transformative power.