Initial A c. 16th century

Editor: This woodcut, "Initial A," by an anonymous artist, feels like a fragment of something larger. The letter is embellished with floral motifs, and I wonder what purpose it served. What can you tell me about it? Curator: The symbolic language of flowers speaks volumes. Consider the 'A' itself – often signifying beginnings, authority. The floral motifs intertwine, suggesting growth, but also perhaps fragility. Where might such a potent combination of symbolic weights be found? Editor: Maybe it's part of a larger illuminated manuscript? Curator: Precisely! And recall that illuminated letters often prefaced sacred texts. The imagery becomes a meditation, doesn't it? A gateway. Editor: I see it now! Thanks, I'll never look at an initial letter the same way. Curator: Nor will I. The interplay of word and image, it's an enduring dialogue through time.