According to the theory of conceptual metaphor, image-schemas andprimary metaphors are preconceptual structures configured in human cognition,based on sensory-motor environmental activity. Focusing on the way both nonconceptualstructures are embedded in early social interaction, we provideempirical evidence for the interactive and intersubjective ontogenesis ofimage-schemas and primary metaphors. We present the results of a multimodalimage-schematic microanalysis of three interactive infant-directed performances(the composition of movement, touch, speech, and vocalization that adultsproduce for-and-with the infants). The microanalyses show that adults aestheticallyhighlight the image-schematic structures embedded in the multimodalcomposition of the performance, and that primary metaphors are also lived asembedded in these inter-enactive experiences. The findings allow corroboratingthat the psychological domains of cognition and affection are not in rivalry orconflict but rather intertwined in meaningful experiences