Quatrefoil Design in Blackwork, from Varii Generis Opera Aurifabris Necessaria
ca. 1600
Medium
Engraving and blackwork
Dimensions
Sheet: 1 13/16 × 1 1/2 in. (4.6 × 3.8 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1930
Accession Number
30.70.9
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the intricate world of Renaissance ornamentation with *Quatrefoil Design inwork* by Paul Birckenhultz created around 1600. This delicate engraving, measuring just 1 13/16 × 1 1/2 inches, hails from the pattern book *Varii Gener Opera Aurifabrisaria* ("Various Works Necessary for Goldsmith"). Birckenhultz, a engraver of his time, crafted this piece to inspire artisans working in precious metals, offering precise templates for jewelry, decorative objects, and architectural details. The quatrefoil—a four-lobed motif rooted in Gothic traditions but revived in Renaissance design—forms th...