Letter I c. 16th century

Curator: Here we have "Letter I", an anonymous piece from the Harvard Art Museums. What are your first thoughts? Editor: It's striking how such a simple form, the letter "I", is imbued with so much swirling, almost organic energy. Curator: Absolutely. The letter is a vessel, carrying these tendrils and spirals. One sees echoes of illuminated manuscripts, where the initial letter explodes with symbolic weight. Editor: Indeed, this speaks to the power of literacy and the elevated status of the written word, certainly. Imagine the cultural value placed on this single letter, enough to adorn it so. Curator: It feels like a microcosm of a larger symbolic order, doesn’t it? A reminder that even the smallest unit of language can hold profound meaning. Editor: A powerful demonstration of how society projects its values onto even the alphabet. It makes you wonder what narratives and beliefs this letter once heralded. Curator: Precisely, a tangible representation of cultural ideals invested in a very simple mark. Editor: A compelling example of the power of visual embellishment to signal what a society deems precious.