Letter N c. 16th century

Editor: This is "Letter N," an anonymous piece housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s graphic and ornamental; it feels like a medieval woodcut. What historical context can you provide? Curator: Consider how letters functioned as both information and art. The flora intertwined with the letter speaks to nature's power. Do you notice the rabbits—symbols of fertility and perhaps even the cycle of life? Editor: Interesting! So, even something as simple as a letter can hold layers of meaning. I hadn't considered that. Curator: Exactly! Visual symbols were a shared language. This 'N' becomes a vessel of cultural memory. Editor: I see it now. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure. It has been enlightening!