Piece IX c. 16th century

Curator: Here we have Piece IX, from the Harvard Art Museums, created by an anonymous artist. The first thing that leaps out at me is its potent strangeness. Editor: I agree. The stark black ink on the paper gives it a crude yet powerful quality. It really emphasizes the labor involved in its making. Curator: Absolutely. It seems like it could be a heraldic crest, but the face at the center feels ambiguous. Is it a benevolent guardian or something more sinister? Editor: I see how the dense lines create a sense of texture. It's printed, obviously, which speaks to the commodification of images even back then. What purposes did these prints serve? Curator: That's the delicious mystery, isn’t it? Without knowing the artist, we can only imagine the context and intention behind this compelling piece. Editor: Precisely. I think we can appreciate its materiality and speculate about the culture that produced it. Curator: A little darkness, a bit of light—I’ll keep looking at it! Editor: Indeed, a fascinating object to ponder.