Capital Letter III c. 16th century

Editor: So, this is "Capital Letter III," by an anonymous artist, housed here at Harvard. It's a floral letter "C", and it feels so delicate, almost like a tiny illuminated manuscript page. What strikes you about it? Curator: The beauty in simplicity, I think. Look how the stark black ink defines the floral forms, echoing the curves of the letter. It's a garden contained, isn't it? Editor: A garden contained, that’s lovely! It makes me think about the constraints of creativity and how they can sometimes lead to the most beautiful results. Curator: Precisely! And knowing it’s anonymous, it feels like a gift freely given, a little seed of beauty planted long ago. Editor: I never thought of it that way. Curator: Art often sneaks up on you like that.