Border c. 16th century

Curator: Here we have a design simply titled, "Border," held at the Harvard Art Museums. It's creator is unknown. Editor: It strikes me as something darkly whimsical, a kind of heraldic nightmare rendered in delicate lines. Curator: Indeed. Borders like these, though often anonymous, were vital to early print culture, framing text and images in ways that reflected contemporary tastes and conveyed status. Editor: The men with their staffs, the wolves, the snakes, all interwoven with dense foliage... there is something both elegant and deeply unsettling about their arrangement. Curator: I agree. One wonders what specific narratives or symbolic systems this border was meant to evoke for its original audience. The tension between nature and civilization, perhaps? Editor: Or maybe a darker allegory about human nature itself. It's a small thing, but it holds so much. Curator: An overlooked piece that speaks volumes, wouldn't you say? Editor: Exactly. It definitely inspires you to look further into its meaning.