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Exploring Small Objects in Ancient and Medieval Art

Mittelalterliche und Antike Kleinobjekte: Eine Forschungsreise

A seminar at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in Winter Semester 2020/21

Inspired by the rich collection at the Bode Museum in Berlin this seminar explored artefacts’ scale and sensory qualities. Our students selected late antique and medieval objects from the Bode Museum and curated them carefully for their blog entries. The entries are based on research papers, which have been transformed into evocative and multi-sensorial presentations. These highlight the intimate connections between people and artefacts.

Small objects have traditionally been sidelined in the canon of archaeology and art history. While architecture and large-scale sculpture and painting certainly play a crucial part in material culture, smaller objects can reveal other aspects of a culture that are just as illuminating, in different ways. Their diminutive size can emphasize preciousness, especially if the object is wrought in costly materials. Smallness can also invite a special interaction with the viewer – who may want to take the object in their hand, trace its lines, carry it in a pocket, hold it close, even smell it. In this way, small artefacts can help archaeologists and art historians think about the senses beyond sight: how are the other senses addressed in the production and use of small things? Our students explore this in their online contributions.

Instructors:
Dr. Jitske Jasperse, Institut für Kunst- und Bildgeschichte, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Dr. Stephanie Pearson, Institut für Archäologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin