Letter E in een omlijsting met de hoorn des overvloeds 17th century

This woodcut of the letter E with a cornucopia was made by an anonymous artist. Letterforms like this one were not merely decorative. Their production and distribution were central to a culture of learning and literacy. The prominent cornucopia, or horn of plenty, is a classical symbol of abundance and nourishment. Who would have been the target audience for such a motif, and what sorts of books might it have appeared in? If we could locate this image in a particular book, we might begin to understand the complex social relations between printers, publishers, authors, and readers. Examining printing techniques and the economics of book production can tell us much about social class and cultural values in the period when this letter was made. Careful historical investigation, using the tools of bibliography and cultural history, brings us closer to grasping the public role of art.