Aldus Manutius
The dolphin entwining an anchor symbolizes the press established in the late fifteenth century by Aldus Manutius (1450-1515), Venetian scholar-printer. According to Erasmus, a friend of the printer, the anchor represents the period of deliberation before a work is begun, the dolphin the speed of its completion. (Traditionally, they represented the state and the ruler.)
Aldus Manutius introduced inexpensive books in small formats bound in vellum that were read much like our paperbacks. He also commissioned the Francesco Griffo (fl. 1499-1518) to cut a cursive type known today as italic. Aldus' press continued to flourish after his death through the diligence of his family, who adhered to his standards of book production of the highest technical and scholarly quality.