Bibliothecae Alexandrinae icones symbolicae p. d. Christofori Giardae ... elogiis illustratae
A 1626 Milan emblem book by Cristoforo Giarda, with engravings by Cesare Bassano, issued for learned readers interested in allegory and symbolism. Its pictures are woodcut decorative initials set in square frames: one large ornamental A surrounded by scrolls and leaves, and several smaller letters in curling foliage, C and Q among them. A designer might borrow the framed initial and the bold scroll-and-acanthus borders for monograms or drop caps.
