Letter F c. 16th century

Curator: Here we have a captivating initial, titled "Letter F," by an anonymous artist, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The 'F' has this rough-hewn quality—it feels almost primal, like something unearthed from a long-forgotten spellbook. It’s so…elemental, and beautiful. Curator: Consider the letter itself—a stylized form, yes, but also a vessel. It's cradled by organic forms, leaves, perhaps suggesting growth and fertility. The 'F' becomes a frame. Editor: The way the leaves curl around the letter makes me think of the forest—of how intertwined and complex everything is, even in something as simple as a letter. It kind of makes you consider the alphabet in new ways. Curator: It reminds us that even the most mundane elements are steeped in a complex history of meaning. Editor: Absolutely—it’s like a little secret, waiting to be deciphered!