Initial D c. 16th century

Editor: Here we have *Initial D*, an undated, unsigned piece at the Harvard Art Museums. The letter "D" is so ornate, with foliage and a mythological figure... it feels like a world contained within a letter. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a fascinating intersection of power dynamics. The initial "D," often used to denote nobility or divinity, is here intertwined with a bestial figure. How might this juxtaposition challenge conventional understandings of authority and social hierarchy? Editor: That's interesting! I hadn't thought about the tension between the letter and the figure. Curator: Consider too, the anonymous nature of the work. It prompts us to question who had the power to create and disseminate such imagery, and whose voices remain unheard in the historical record. Editor: I guess this initial is much more subversive than I initially thought.