Initial O c. 16th century

Editor: Here we have the woodcut "Initial O," artist unknown, from the Harvard Art Museums. It feels so compact, yet the letter itself is bursting with life. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The letter "O" acts as a vessel, a container for symbolic meaning. The foliate design, rendered in stark black and white, evokes a sense of growth, of something nascent unfolding. Editor: So it's more than just a letter? Curator: Absolutely. Consider the placement of the leaves, how they both support and emerge from the central form. This reflects the interconnectedness of all things. It is a reminder of our shared roots. Editor: I never thought of a letter having so much depth! Curator: Indeed. Symbols have a life of their own, continually evolving across cultures and through time.