Letter Q c. 15th century

Curator: Here we have an anonymous artwork titled "Letter Q", currently residing in the Harvard Art Museums. The medium appears to be printmaking. Editor: I'm struck by how much this small initial contains; it feels like a dense, interwoven narrative. Curator: The artist's labor is evident in the careful execution of the knotwork. Consider the socio-economic context: printmaking democratized knowledge, making texts accessible to a wider audience. Editor: Right, and these decorative initials often signified wealth and status, but also a cultural value placed on literacy and religious texts. Curator: It's a fascinating intersection of craft, labor, and the dissemination of ideas. Editor: Seeing it now, I feel its resonance as a symbol of both individual expression and collective history. Curator: Indeed. A humble yet powerful artifact. Editor: It certainly gives us a new perspective on design and its impact on cultural values.