Letter S c. 16th century

Curator: We're looking at "Letter S" from the Harvard Art Museums, made by an anonymous artist. Editor: Oh, a little world in a square! I'm immediately drawn to that tiny figure—it feels like a mischievous sprite pulled right from a dream. Curator: Indeed! The initial "S" is enmeshed with a larger pattern of naturalistic forms. Consider how illuminated letters have been used throughout the ages. Editor: Right, beyond mere decoration, this initial speaks to a deeper human desire. It's like a garden we can enter, full of symbols both hidden and revealed. So, what do you see hiding in the leaves? Curator: Well, I see the suggestion of cultural memory--the re-emergence of pagan or even folk imagery in an otherwise formally Christian context. Editor: You know, seeing this makes me want to craft my own illuminated letters. Imagine the stories we could start, if we just looked at each letter differently!