Letters A and B 15th-16th century

Curator: Here we have an intriguing work from the Harvard Art Museums, "Letters A and B" by an anonymous artist. At first glance, what do you make of it? Editor: There’s a certain playful rigidity to them, aren’t there? Like Victorian ironwork trying to be baroque. Curator: Precisely! Looking closer, you can see how the forms of the letters are rendered with such intricate detail, almost like interwoven textiles. Editor: I'm drawn to the implied labor, the hours spent meticulously crafting each line. Who was making these, and for what purpose? Was this purely ornamental, or functional? Curator: Perhaps a masterclass in engraving, a demonstration of skill? It makes you wonder about the relationship between art and craft, doesn’t it? Editor: It does indeed! These letters, so carefully made, speak volumes about the material conditions of their creation, and the values we assign to skill and design. Curator: It’s a small, unassuming image, but it opens up a whole world of questions. Editor: A good reminder that even the most ornamental things have a history rooted in labor and material.