Head-piece c. 16th century

Curator: This small woodcut, titled "Head-piece", comes to us from an anonymous artist. What leaps out at you about it? Editor: It’s got this ancient, almost pagan vibe. It feels like finding a relic, a piece of forgotten lore. Curator: The contrasting textures are fascinating, aren't they? Notice how the floral garland contrasts with the helmet and the grotesque face. Editor: It’s like a symbolic tug-of-war—beauty wrestling with the bizarre. I wonder if it's a comment on humanity's duality? Curator: Perhaps. Its symbolic richness lies in the ambiguity. It makes you want to invent stories around it. Editor: It does! It’s a miniature portal into another world. I’m left pondering where it once adorned, and whose head it crowned.