Provocative Objects: Estellina Conat’s Printing of "The Contemplation of the World"

Provocative Objects / Spaces

22 October, 2025 -

The invention of movable type printing in 15th-century Europe revolutionized the spread of knowledge. While figures like Johannes Gutenberg dominate this narrative, women also played crucial, though often overlooked, roles. One such figure is Estellina Conat, the first known woman to actively participate in the craft of European printing. Between 1474 and 1477, she worked at the Hebrew press founded by her husband, Abraham Conat, in Mantua, Italy. Her contributions highlight both her individual significance and the broader evolution of women’s roles in professional life during this period.

Estellina’s involvement is documented during the early years of Hebrew printing in Mantua, a city known for its cultural tolerance under the Gonzaga rulers. This environment supported a vibrant Jewish community and intellectual life, enabling the Conats to establish a Hebrew press. Their press primarily produced religious texts, helping preserve and disseminate Jewish knowledge. Estellina was not merely assisting her husband—she worked independently and was credited in a colophon, a rare acknowledgment for a woman at the time.

Before the printing press, women were already involved in book production as scribes and illuminators, especially in religious institutions. Estellina’s work marks a transition into the new technology of movable type. Although Anna Rügerin is often mistakenly cited as the first woman printer (active in 1484), Estellina predates her by nearly a decade. This misattribution may stem from Estellina’s focus on Hebrew texts, which were less accessible to early Western scholars who concentrated on Latin and vernacular print histories. Estellina’s case illustrates how women adapted to technological change, continuing their engagement in knowledge production. The persistence of historical inaccuracies, such as the Rügerin attribution, underscores the need for careful scholarship and awareness of cultural and linguistic biases.

Abraham Conat, a physician and scholar, is credited with introducing Hebrew printing to Mantua, likely inspired by the broader printing movement that reached the city by 1471. He once described their printed books as being “written with many pens, without the aid of a miracle,” reflecting how novel the technology seemed. The Conats’ press was a family-run operation, typical of early printing enterprises, where roles were often shared. Estellina’s active participation is confirmed by the Jewish Women’s Archive, which notes that she arranged and executed print jobs.

What is clear is that Abraham Conat was the nominal proprietor of the press, yet he himself acknowledged Estellina’s significant labor in printing their books. Printing in the 1470s required a small team for tasks like setting type, inking, pressing, and proofreading, and it appears Estellina fulfilled several of these roles on par with any professional printer. It's important to note that early Hebrew printing in Italy was very much a family (or cottage) industry, just as non-Hebrew printing was. Entire families often participated in printing businesses, and women were an important, but often anonymous part of the workforce.

In the case of the Conats, however, Estellina did not remain anonymous. She is explicitly named in one colophon as the person responsible for producing a book, a very rare level of credit for a woman at that time. This partnership model—a husband-and-wife team operating a press—highlights Estellina’s unusual prominence, since most women printers of that era surfaced only when they took over presses as widows.

Estellina’s most significant contribution is the printing of Behinat ha-'Olam (The Contemplation of the World), a philosophical poem by Jedaiah ben Abraham Bedersi. The colophon of this edition reads, “I, Estellina, the wife of my worthy husband Abraham Conat, wrote [i.e., printed] this book.” The use of “wrote” (katavti) reflects the absence of a Hebrew term for printing at the time. This edition, produced with the help of Jacob Levi of Tarascon, is the earliest known printed book credited to a woman, offering rare and direct evidence of female involvement in early printing.

Hebrew printing began shortly after Gutenberg’s invention, with Italy—especially Mantua—emerging as a key center. Jewish printers played a vital role in preserving their cultural and religious heritage. The Conats’ work shows that early printing was not limited to professional printers; educated individuals like physicians and scholars also engaged in it.

Estellina’s role is especially notable because she was neither a widow nor a nun—two common exceptions that allowed women to work in printing despite guild restrictions. She was a married Jewish woman who actively printed and claimed credit for her work. Her example predates other known women printers by about a decade, making her a true pioneer in European printing history.

Nate Schulman has taught graphic design history to over 850 students across five universities, including California State University, Long Beach. www.nateschulman.com

Started by the DHS Ambassadors in 2022, the Design History Society’s Provocative Objects and Places blog series looks at spaces and objects that challenge and confront us as design historians.

Past topics have ranged from the ancient Colosseum in Rome to the ultramodern Antilia in Mumbai; pink razors and Barbies to Lalique’s Bacchantes vase and nineteenth-century asylum photography. The full collection of previous posts can be found here: https://www.designhistorysociety.org/blog/category/provocative-objects-spaces

We invite submissions for guest blog posts from students, early career researchers, and established academics to those with a general interest in design history. Post can be on any object or place from any era, anywhere in the world, which in some way incites discussion and debate. Post should be 500-800 words in length, accompanied by at least one image with associated credits and clearances, and a short bio.

Please send to the DHS Senior Administrator, Dr Jenna Allsopp designhistorysociety@gmail.com