Letter C in een omlijsting met een wolf of een hond 17th century

This is a small, anonymous woodcut of the letter C, framed with a wolf or dog, probably made somewhere in Europe. Though it is difficult to give a specific date, we can tell from the style that it may have been produced sometime in the early modern period. Images like this were often used at the start of chapters in books, but they could also be used as teaching tools. The letter is clearly legible, but the addition of the wolf or dog and the foliage shows the way in which nature and culture were deeply intertwined. The question of this image’s specific function might be resolved by researching other examples of its kind. What other letters were in the set, and in which book were they used? Further study of books, print, and reading in Europe may show its role in education, religion, and culture more generally.