Initial A c. 16th century

Curator: Here we have "Initial A," an intriguing anonymous work held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first thought? It’s like a tiny, dense forest of letterforms trying to break free from its square border! Curator: Exactly. This piece really collapses any hierarchy between fine art and functional design. Someone made this probably as part of a larger project of block printing. Editor: It feels so raw, so immediate! You can almost feel the pressure of the block on the page. Were they aiming for beauty, or just legibility? Curator: I think both. The floral motifs suggest an aspiration toward beauty. Remember, though, the means of production would likely involve a workshop of artisans. Editor: I see a collision between the handmade and the reproducible, something both chaotic and grounded. It’s a reminder that even the smallest, seemingly insignificant works can hold entire worlds within them. Curator: Indeed, a tiny testament to the material conditions of artistic production. Editor: A and Amen.