Head- or Tail-piece c. 16th century

Editor: This small, undated print titled "Head- or Tail-piece" is by an anonymous artist and is part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. It looks like some sort of fantastical cornucopia. What symbols jump out at you? Curator: The cornucopia itself is a potent symbol. Abundance, certainly, but also a sense of overflowing generosity. But consider, too, how this image might function within a larger text. Does it amplify the themes present in the writing, or perhaps offer a visual counterpoint? Editor: That's a good point! It's interesting to think about how it interacts with the words around it. Curator: Exactly. And observe how the fruits and foliage are rendered. There's a deliberate emphasis on the tactile, the organic. It invites a kind of sensory engagement beyond the purely visual. Perhaps it speaks to the value of earthly pleasures? Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way. Now I'm seeing it as more than just decoration; it’s a tiny universe of meaning. Curator: Precisely. These small images often held immense cultural weight. It's a reminder that symbols are never neutral; they carry stories within them.