Front Book Cover c. 6th century

Curator: This is a front book cover, its maker unfortunately unidentified. The piece is currently held at the Harvard Art Museums and the sight measures about 39.4 by 30.5 centimeters. Editor: It's immediately striking, isn't it? The stark contrast of light and shadow gives it a dramatic, almost theatrical quality. Curator: Absolutely. The process of carving, presumably in ivory, would have been painstaking. Consider the social context: books were luxury items, and a cover like this signals wealth and status, as well as devotion. Editor: And the composition! The arrangement of the panels, the central cross, the repetition of figures—it all creates a powerful visual rhythm. The materiality of the ivory also lends to the feeling of something valuable. Curator: Indeed. I wonder about the specific labor involved, the workshop where it was created. Who was the patron, and what was their intent in commissioning it? Editor: Regardless, the maker’s intent is clear. The interplay between the carving and the use of the ivory is quite moving. Curator: A fascinating confluence of faith, labor, and material. Editor: Precisely, a testament to the power of visual language.