Letter H c. 15th century

Curator: Letter H, a woodcut print of unknown origin, features two cherubic figures entwined within its form. It strikes me as quite playful. Editor: Immediately, I see the cherubs – Eros figures perhaps? – active within the letter. Are they embodiments of youthful energy, trapped in the confines of typography? Curator: Or perhaps freed by it? Consider the labour involved in creating such a detailed, small-scale print. The wood must have been meticulously carved. Editor: The cherubs suggest more, though. One reaches out, an arrow perhaps implied, while the other seems to leap or fall. Is this a visual encoding of love’s dual nature – its pain and joy? Curator: Perhaps. Or maybe these figures were stock images, re-purposed by the printer to add flair to the initial. Editor: Still, even stock images carry symbolic baggage. The arrow, the wings...they all evoke a complex web of associations, don't they? Curator: Indeed, and whether intentional or not, the symbolism adds layers of meaning to what might otherwise be a simple decorative element. Editor: It makes you wonder how these enduring symbols shape our understanding of ourselves and the world, even today. Curator: And how the means of their production influenced their distribution and reception.