Letter D with Lion, symbol of Saint Mark 15th-16th century

Curator: Here we have an anonymous woodcut, "Letter D with Lion, symbol of Saint Mark," residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The lion's got wings! It feels like a dream, a heraldic beast escaped from the margins of some ancient manuscript. Curator: The technique suggests a print intended for a broader, more accessible market, perhaps even didactic in function. The rough, bold lines speak to efficient production. Editor: It feels raw, yet there’s such meticulous detail in the floral flourishes. It's like folk art meets high symbolism. The D feels less important than the creature it contains. Curator: Indeed. And understanding the social context—the book trade, literacy rates—helps us see it as a functional object embedded in everyday life. Editor: It whispers tales of hidden meanings, the kind only understood by a select few. It’s got teeth. Curator: Seeing it this way, the print offers a tangible connection to a world far removed from our own, and also so familiar. Editor: I'm left wondering about the hands that carved this and the eyes that saw it for the first time.