Letter N c. 1500

Curator: This is "Letter N," an anonymous work held in the Harvard Art Museums. What strikes you first? Editor: The density! It's not just a letter, it feels like a miniature cosmos, those dark dots surrounding the form like a star field. Curator: Indeed. Consider the process of creating such detail. Each dot, each flourish, painstakingly rendered through the labor of carving and printing. This elevates what could be a mere functional alphabet into a profound object. Editor: Beyond the sheer labor, the "N" itself is a potent symbol: Names, narratives, numbers…it is a foundation for countless meanings and stories. Curator: Absolutely, the convergence of material craft and symbolic potential is captivating. Editor: It is quite humbling to think about all that this little letter could represent. Curator: Yes, and its very existence reminds us of the hands that crafted its form.