Fragment of an Ascension c. 9th century

Curator: It's incredibly moving to see this fragment, this small ivory piece called "Fragment of an Ascension" residing here at Harvard. It whispers of a narrative, doesn't it? Editor: It does. The first thing that strikes me is the density of figures crammed into such a tiny space. There's a real sense of communal witnessing of something extraordinary. Curator: Absolutely, though we don't know who created it, the artist managed to capture a moment brimming with faith. Perhaps what's most striking is its incomplete nature. We're left to fill in the blanks. Editor: Precisely. And that incompleteness mirrors how religion often functions: partially revealed, partially understood. The wear and tear, the missing pieces—it all adds layers. It is what survives—and, for me, that is always the most interesting part. Curator: I agree. It really makes you wonder what this little fragment once meant and the journeys it has taken. Editor: Exactly.