Head-piece 15th-16th century

Curator: Oh, this reminds me of something you'd find in a fairytale, like trim on a queen's sleeve. Editor: That's fascinating. This anonymous "Head-piece" from the Harvard Art Museums presents an interesting case for understanding the social history of adornment. Curator: You think so? It feels quite...decorative, you know? Like the kind of thing someone would mindlessly doodle. Editor: Well, the repetition itself could be interpreted as a commentary on the constraints placed on women's creativity in certain historical periods. Perhaps adornment was one of the only available outlets for self-expression. Curator: Hmmm. It's a bit small to make a grand statement, don't you think? Editor: Its small scale doesn't negate its potential significance. Think about the subversive potential of a tiny, handmade object carrying coded meanings. Curator: Coded meanings... I was thinking it was just a pretty pattern. It's funny how different our eyes see the same thing! Editor: Indeed, and that’s precisely what makes art, and its contextualization, so powerfully dynamic.