Letter Q c. 16th century

Editor: This is "Letter Q" by an anonymous artist, held at the Harvard Art Museums. The floral design inside the letter feels very contained and deliberate. What are your thoughts on the piece? Curator: It's fascinating to consider this letter outside its original context. Letters are inherently tied to language, which is a system of power. Who had access to literacy, and what narratives were being privileged? Editor: So, the letter "Q" itself, even in its ornamental form, is a symbol of societal structure? Curator: Precisely. And the choice of flora, the dense, almost claustrophobic arrangement – does it reflect a controlled, cultivated environment versus a wild, untamed one? What does that imply about the society that produced it? Editor: I never thought a letter could carry so much weight. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure! It's all about peeling back the layers of history and uncovering the power dynamics within.