This 17th century German book, dedicated to the 'art of writing,' opens a window into how others in the past appreciated the presentation of letterforms.
It features intricate calligraphy that resemble works of art on their own.
This historical artifact is titled, 'The Proper Art of Writing: A Compilation of All Sorts of Capital or Initial Letters of German, Latin and Italian Fonts from Different Masters of the Noble Art of Writing.'
The original title, in case you're interested, reads, 'Kunstrichtige Schreibart allerhand Versalie[n] oder AnfangsBuchstabe[n] der teütschen, lateinischen und italianischen Schrifften aus unterschiedlichen Meistern der edlen Schreibkunst zusammen getragen.
The book was first published in 1655 by Bey Paulus Fürsten Kunsthändlern daselbst in Nurnberg, and is available to the public.
[via Designobserver.com]