Letter D, with Coat of Arms of an Abbot, probably a Dedicatory Initial c. 16th century

Curator: This is the "Letter D, with Coat of Arms of an Abbot, probably a Dedicatory Initial," a work by an anonymous artist. The piece is held here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The high contrast between the black ink and the white background gives it a striking, almost severe, feel. Curator: The visual vocabulary is fascinating—the roosters facing different directions, those peculiar trees. It hints at something beyond mere decoration. Editor: Indeed. The Abbot's coat of arms, situated within the 'D', suggests the intersection of religious authority and personal identity, typical for the era. Curator: Consider the rooster—a solar symbol, vigilance, resurrection...and the trees... perhaps of life, of a sacred grove? Symbols embedded in the collective unconscious. Editor: Or perhaps direct references to this Abbot's family, his lands, his particular allegiances. Power, portrayed through symbolism, very much of this world. Curator: Well, there's always more than meets the eye, isn't there? A layered narrative captured in a single initial. Editor: Always. A small piece carrying within it huge societal implications.