A chapter relating to the relation between things and words. The chapter realtes to an attached exhibition at the SchmuckMuseum in Pforzheim Germany. The full publication details: Alongside Erasmus of Rotterdam, Johannes Reuchlin (1455–1522) is one of the most important European humanists whose works marked the transition from the Middle Ages to the modern era. The year 2022 marks the 500th anniversary of the Pforzheim-born jurist, Hebraist, and religious philosopher’s death, cause indeed for a publication to bring jewelry, writings, and language into a stimulating dialogue and to offer new meanings to the titular mystery of signs. At the fore stands the human quest for understanding and tolerance, which has lost none of its relevance today. One particular focal point comprises selected manuscripts and works by Reuchlin, highlighted from new perspectives. An additional emphasis is placed on objects that reflect Reuchlin’s cognitive world through script and symbols from the resplendent collection of the Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim [Pforzheim jewelry museum].

The book has been awarded the Certificate of Typographic Excellence by the Type Directors Club New York, the most prestigious international prize for book design and typography.