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Mind in Matter: An Introduction to Material Culture Theory and Method
... Material Culture: Prown (1982) defined material culture as the examination of artefacts that represent the beliefs of a specific community or society during a specific period. The world arguably presents itself to us through tangible objects and undergoes ongoing development through our actions. ...
... The world arguably presents itself to us through tangible objects and undergoes ongoing development through our actions. Prown (1982) proposed that the classification of items should be based on their functions to facilitate the organisation and retrieval of information, given the extensive cultural variation of these objects. His six classifications encompass art (paintings, drawings, print, sculpture, photography), diversions (books, toys, games, meals, theatrical performances), adornment (jewellery, clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics), modifications of the landscape (architecture, agriculture), applied arts (furniture, furnishings, receptacles) and devices (machines, vehicles, musical instruments, implements, scientific instruments) (Prown, 1982). ...
... Prown (1982) proposed that the classification of items should be based on their functions to facilitate the organisation and retrieval of information, given the extensive cultural variation of these objects. His six classifications encompass art (paintings, drawings, print, sculpture, photography), diversions (books, toys, games, meals, theatrical performances), adornment (jewellery, clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics), modifications of the landscape (architecture, agriculture), applied arts (furniture, furnishings, receptacles) and devices (machines, vehicles, musical instruments, implements, scientific instruments) (Prown, 1982). This study focused on investigating adornment design in Orang Ulu culture. ...
The delicate balance between preserving the rich cultural legacy of Orang Ulu motif patterns and adapting them to current items of ethnic wear made by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is examined in this research. The study explores how Orang Ulu motifs are used in modern clothing production in Sarawak, Malaysia, acknowledging the importance of community involvement in documenting and organising this cultural legacy. While they need to be protected, these culturally significant designs must also be relevant in contemporary fashion due to modernisation and changing consumer preferences. This study aims to examine factors influencing consumers' purchase behaviour regarding ethnic wear or cultural clothing made by SMEs. Cultural anthropology, design innovation and business development were used to examine how SMEs might preserve Orang Ulu culture. Interviews, surveys and design studies were employed to understand producer and customer preferences and expectations. Relevant variables were obtained from a literature review. This empirical study used a well-structured face-to-face and internet-based customer questionnaire to survey 194 respondents. SPSS software was used to analyse the data using ranking scale analysis, analysis of variance and Pearson's correlation. This research identifies several techniques for incorporating traditional Orang Ulu motif designs into contemporary ethnic clothing to help SMEs balance cultural preservation and market viability. The complex process of conserving cultural themes despite global developments is explored, emphasising the need for adaptation to maintain cultural identity in the global market. The research will help SME owners and entrepreneurs meet customer expectations and build brand loyalty. The study's limitations include a small sample size and a focus on consumer behaviour towards transformative ethnic wear made by SMEs, so the results cannot be applied to other firm types. SMEs making transformative ethnic wear are crucial for economic diversification, particularly in developing nations like Malaysia.
... Material Culture: Prown (1982) defined material culture as the examination of artefacts that represent the beliefs of a specific community or society during a specific period. The world arguably presents itself to us through tangible objects and undergoes ongoing development through our actions. ...
... The world arguably presents itself to us through tangible objects and undergoes ongoing development through our actions. Prown (1982) proposed that the classification of items should be based on their functions to facilitate the organisation and retrieval of information, given the extensive cultural variation of these objects. His six classifications encompass art (paintings, drawings, print, sculpture, photography), diversions (books, toys, games, meals, theatrical performances), adornment (jewellery, clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics), modifications of the landscape (architecture, agriculture), applied arts (furniture, furnishings, receptacles) and devices (machines, vehicles, musical instruments, implements, scientific instruments) (Prown, 1982). ...
... Prown (1982) proposed that the classification of items should be based on their functions to facilitate the organisation and retrieval of information, given the extensive cultural variation of these objects. His six classifications encompass art (paintings, drawings, print, sculpture, photography), diversions (books, toys, games, meals, theatrical performances), adornment (jewellery, clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics), modifications of the landscape (architecture, agriculture), applied arts (furniture, furnishings, receptacles) and devices (machines, vehicles, musical instruments, implements, scientific instruments) (Prown, 1982). This study focused on investigating adornment design in Orang Ulu culture. ...
The delicate balance between preserving the rich cultural legacy of Orang Ulu motif patterns and adapting them to current items of ethnic wear made by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is examined in this research. The study explores how Orang Ulu motifs are used in modern clothing production in Sarawak, Malaysia, acknowledging the importance of community involvement in documenting and organising this cultural legacy. While they need to be protected, these culturally significant designs must also be relevant in contemporary fashion due to modernisation and changing consumer preferences. This study aims to examine factors influencing consumers’ purchase behaviour regarding ethnic wear or cultural clothing made by SMEs. Cultural anthropology, design innovation and business development were used to examine how SMEs might preserve Orang Ulu culture. Interviews, surveys and design studies were employed to understand producer and customer preferences and expectations. Relevant variables were obtained from a literature review. This empirical study used a well-structured face-to-face and internet-based customer questionnaire to survey 194 respondents. SPSS software was used to analyse the data using ranking scale analysis, analysis of variance and Pearson's correlation. This research identifies several techniques for incorporating traditional Orang Ulu motif designs into contemporary ethnic clothing to help SMEs balance cultural preservation and market viability. The complex process of conserving cultural themes despite global developments is explored, emphasising the need for adaptation to maintain cultural identity in the global market. The research will help SME owners and entrepreneurs meet customer expectations and build brand loyalty. The study’s limitations include a small sample size and a focus on consumer behaviour towards transformative ethnic wear made by SMEs, so the results cannot be applied to other firm types. SMEs making transformative ethnic wear are crucial for economic diversification, particularly in developing nations like Malaysia.
... Maddi kültür, birçok kullanımı ve anlamı da içinde barındıran ve son yıllarda gelişme gösteren önemli bir araştırma alanı haline gelmiştir. İlk zamanlarda antropoloji, sanat tarihi, müze bilimi, arkeoloji gibi alanların çalışmalarına sıkça dahil olan maddi kültür kavramı artık birçok disiplinin bir arada kullanıldığı bir çalışma alanı olmuştur (Prown, 1982). Bu disiplinlerarası yapısı ile de farklı yöntem ve bakış açıları içermektedir. ...
... Yüklenen bu anlamlar, nesneleri bir kültür unsuru haline getirmekle birlikte toplumların kültürlerini anlamada da önemli bir rol üstlenmişlerdir. Maddi kültür kavramı da bu çerçevede ortaya çıkmıştır ve arkeoloji, antropoloji, tarih gibi birçok disiplinin çalışma alanıdır (Prown, 1982;Bolin ve Blandy, 2003;Sarıtaş, 2019). Maddi kültür ile ilgili yapılan çalışmalar ele alındığında, belirli kültürlerin simgesi haline gelmiş ikonik nesnelerin araştırmalarda daha çok yer aldığı belirlenmiştir. ...
... Jules David Prown ise maddi kültürü "belirli bir topluluğun ya da toplumun belirli bir zamanda inançlarının, değerlerinin, fikirlerinin, tutumlarının eserleriyle yapılan çalışma" olarak tanımlar (Prown, 1982;Bronner vd., 1985). Sümerbank'ın maddi kültüre olan yansımalarında önemli bir diğer konu da ikili yaşam biçimleridir. ...
Soyut bir kavram olarak kabul edilen kültür aynı zamanda toplumların kendini ifade ediş biçimi olarak da tanımlanmaktadır. Kültür çeşitlerinden biri olan maddi kültür kavramı üzerine yapılan çalışmalar çok az olup, insanlığın gelişiminin teknolojiyle var olması maddi kültür kavramının da incelenmesini önemli kılmıştır. Maddi kültür nesnelere atıfta bulunmanın yanı sıra kendilerini aşan kültürel ifadelerini de kapsar. Bu çalışmada maddi kültür öğelerinden olan giyim-kuşam unsuru ele alınmıştır. Kişilerin sosyal hayatı üzerinde önemli etkisi bulunan giyim-kuşam, maddi kültürü geliştiren önemli öğelerdendir. Türk giyim kuşam sektörünün önemli yapı taşlarından olan Sümerbank, kumaşları ve özgün desen tasarımları ile Türk kimliğini en iyi yansıtan milli bir tekstil desen stili ve modası oluşturmuştur. Özellikle ekonomik kısıtlamalar nedeniyle malzeme ve renklerin sınırlı kullanımına rağmen, Türk maddi kültürüne önemli katkılar sağlamıştır. Bu çalışmada Sümerbank tarafından giyim kuşam alanında ortaya konulan ürünler afişler üzerinden incelenmiş, maddi kültür tanımları ile olan benzeşimler ve maddi kültüre katkıda bulunduğu noktalar belirlenmiştir.
... Figure 3. Visualisation of Severa and Horswill's (1989) model for object-based research on dress (J. A. Suomela). Figure 4. Visualisation of Prown's (1982) model for an object-based study (J. A. Suomela). Figure 5. Visualisation of Mida and Kim's (2015) model for object-based research on dress (J. A. Suomela). ...
... Material culture refers to all objects, artefacts or items that are manufactured or altered within a culture (Harvey, 2017). They can be studied purely as objects or in a broader context by concentrating on the nature of materiality or the social aspects related to it -beliefs, values, ideas and assumptions (Harvey, 2017;Prown, 1982). ...
... Mida and Kim (2015) have published a more recent model for studying dress in object-centred research, which can be applied to analyses of ethnographic material as well. They base their model on the famous work of Jules Prown (1982). His model includes three stages of object analysis, with the analysis moving from description to deduction and finally to speculation (Figure 4). ...
The doctoral thesis falls within the discipline of craft science, with the aim being to discover a means to
identify plant fibres in heritage textiles. I have above all developed microscopy methods to separately
identify flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), hemp (Cannabis sativa) and stinging nettle (Urtica dioica)
fibres. The research material has also revealed the significant role played by cotton (Gossypium spp.) in
linen textiles. This is the first research project to identify commercially cultivated cotton at the species
level based on its fibre morphological properties. The existing literature often refers to textiles made of
plant fibres using the general term linen because the material has been unidentifiable after production.
My thesis offers tools for conducting detailed research on this type of textile.
In the theoretical framework of the study, I have tied the knowledge gained from fibre identification to
research models utilised in the deep analysis of objects. I have introduced natural scientific application
methods through a focus on heritage science – a field of research not so well known in Finland yet.
My research material consists of plant fibre textiles from different time periods in Finland, from
surrounding areas and from the Khanty and Mansi peoples, also part of the Finno-Ugrian language
family. The oldest material is from the Late Iron Age (12th century CE), namely fibre finds from the
archaeological excavations of Ravattula, Ristimäki. The largest body of material derives from the textiles
collected by the photographer I. K. Inha in White Karelia in the year 1894, but I have additionally
utilised photographs and written resources. The cotton materials, dating as far back as the 14th century
in Finland, represent recent archaeological and heritage finds.
With respect to the fibre studies, the unique contribution of my research has been the development of
new methods. I compiled a three-stage procedure that makes it possible to differentiate flax, hemp and
nettle from each other by comparing their morphological differences. The procedure was tested
throughout the thesis project with fibres of different ages and conditions – it was even possible to
identify textiles from different archaeological periods with it. I have devoted considerable effort to
developing suitable cross-cutting methods for heritage textile fibres. In addition to light microscopy, Xray spectroscopy and tomography methods have been used to identify and study heritage materials.
While they did not aid in identifying the fibres, I was able to identify alternative and suitable
applications in heritage textile research. With cotton, I was able to identify species-specific properties at
the fibre level. Building on previous studies in the existing literature, I have been able to shed light on
the obscure use of the term linen and offer recommendations for its proper use. I have made the objects
‘talk’ and ‘tell’ about the history of plant fibre textiles; the archaeological samples especially have
revealed much about the spread of different textile materials in Finland. I have, in a material-driven
manner, provided new information on the textile tradition in White Karelia, shed light on the early
history of cotton in Finland and, with justified methods, identified bast fibres from Late Iron Age
textiles.
My research has considerable value for research on heritage plant fibre textiles precisely because
species-specific identification makes it possible to do much more profound research on the cultural
history of these types of textiles. Through material identification, it is possible focus on much larger
issues, such as the development of trade connections and agriculture, as well as various cultural
currents – which makes advancements in fibre identification important and valuable.
... He challenges his students and readers to consider what the object says on its own before any historical context is uncovered and presented. His methodology brings to mind the work of American art historian Jules David Prown and his successor, Michael Yonan, who both advocated for the "fusion" of traditional art history methods with material culture studies (Audoin-Rouzeau 2017;Prown 1982;and Yonan 2011). Prown advocates for the adoption of methodologies from anthropology and archaeology to better integrate material culture considerations into their analyses (Prown 1982). ...
... His methodology brings to mind the work of American art historian Jules David Prown and his successor, Michael Yonan, who both advocated for the "fusion" of traditional art history methods with material culture studies (Audoin-Rouzeau 2017;Prown 1982;and Yonan 2011). Prown advocates for the adoption of methodologies from anthropology and archaeology to better integrate material culture considerations into their analyses (Prown 1982). Importantly, Yonan argues that art historians have fallen into a trap of believing that their discipline "is one of images, when it has always, in fact, been a discipline of materiality" (Yonan 2011, p. 240). ...
... Their argument is not about whether or not the visual materials and objects made by POWs in the camps were "artistic" or "utilitarian"; what is useful is finding a place within Canadian war art historiography for works of POW art that do not fit into the pre-existing and strict definition of "war art" that is influenced by discussions of high art and hangovers from late nineteenth-century formalism and connoisseurship (Prown 1982). Carr and Mytum argue that the insistence upon a marked distinction between "artistic" and "utilitarian" is a wasted opportunity: "all items made in the camps. . . ...
Though often under-represented in the official and national narratives and in Canadian military historiography more broadly, the intimate and personal lived experiences of Canadian prisoners of war (POW) during the Second World War can be found in archives, photography collections, and collections of war art. In an attempt to see past the mythologised versions of POWs that appear in Hollywood films, best-selling monographs, and other forms of popular culture, it is through bits of ephemera—including wartime log books and the drawings carefully kept and sent home to loved ones along with handwritten letters—that the stories of non-combatant men and women who spent their war as POWs, can be told. Together, Canadian POWs created and curated community and fostered unconventional family ties, sometimes called “emotional communities”, through the collection and accumulation of drawings, illustrations, paintings, and other examples of war art on the pages of their wartime log books while living behind barbed wire. This article uncovers some of these stories, buried in the thousands of boxes in the George Metcalf Archival Collection—the textual archives—at the Canadian War Museum (CWM) in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
... The public records crucially provided a written representation of the organisational motives (Mills, 1940) revealing the formal curriculum-what is stated, formally structured, offered and promoted (Hafferty, 1998). In this sense, the records are a form of 'material culture' (Geertz, 1973)-the range of constructed objects and artifacts that reflect (consciously or unconsciously, directly or indirectly) the culture and value system (Prown, 1982) of the medical schools in which clinical teachers work. ...
... According to Vassie et al. (2020), reprioritization of clinical teaching requires a shift in institutional culture, as expressed through material cultural forms that recognize and reward education, such as providing teachers with the resources (e.g., protected time and training) to deliver teaching excellence. Such a material culture (Prown, 1982) focused approach would entail a transformation of the symbolic aspects of the material components found in the organisational structure, such as awards and their ceremonial aspect, and promotion (Brockerhoff et al., 2014;Chu & Mok, 2016). One of the most common strategies suggested from both sites was to introduce more informal and daily forms of recognition. ...
The perception held by clinical teachers of health professionals that their teaching efforts are under-valued by their education institutions persists despite intensive research and subsequent interventions to address this global problem. The purpose of this multi-site study is to examine how clinical teaching activities are organised, in order to reveal if there are underlying systemic factors that may contribute to this wicked problem. This study employed a cross-comparative case study design of one Singaporean and one Canadian medical school. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with organisational leaders (n = 23) who manage clinical teaching activities and/or have insights on their local assessment, support and recognition systems. Public records were also collected from each site (n = 24). A theory-driven content analysis using a complexity science interpretation of the concept of the Hidden Curriculum was conducted with both sets of data. The two sites were at different stages of maturation in respect of clinical teaching evaluation and feedback, support, and recognition and reward systems. Despite this, the interviews identified shared structure, process and culture-oriented challenges: low prioritisation of teaching, faculty demotivation and dissatisfaction across both research sites. Our findings suggest that a continued focus on structure and process-oriented reforms to elicit change is insufficient. Instead, further examination of site-specific, multiple intersecting academic and clinical cultures is needed. Future efforts to improve the value and drive the pursuit of teaching excellence will require multi-faceted structure, process and culture change approaches. We argue that Hafferty and Castellani’s (The hidden curriculum: A theory of medical education, Routledge, 2009) re-conceptualisation of hidden curriculum through a complexity science lens should be used as a heuristic device to address future research and reform in local medical education contexts.
... Orang Ulu's art and design were characterized by intricate patterns and motifs that reflected the community's spiritual beliefs, daily life, and natural surroundings. Prown (1982) describes that material culture is studied through artefacts that reflect the beliefs of a particular community or society at a given time. According to Miller et al. (2005), self-knowledge and self-actualization are contingent upon our ability to examine the historical context that has been shaped by our predecessors, as reflected in the material mirror. ...
... Due to the wide-ranging cultural diversity of objects, Prown (1982) suggested that the classification of things should be according to functions for cataloging purposes and the convenience of accessing information. He explained that the six classifications are art (paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture, photography), diversions (books, toys, games, meals, theatrical performances), adornment (jewelry, clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics), modifications of the landscape (architecture, agriculture), applied arts (furniture, furnishings, receptacles), and devices (machines, vehicles, musical instruments, implements, scientific instruments), of which the investigation on adornment design of Orang Ulu culture is selected for this study. ...
Orang Ulu's culture and traditions are adapting to modernization and finding new ways to thrive amidst changes that have influenced various aspects of their lives and material culture in Malaysia. This paper highlights the exciting potential for Orang Ulu’s material culture to flourish through the development of motif design and presents the first Orang Ulu woven fabric in a 3D graphical view. Motif design is a beautiful way to preserve and promote the rich cultural identity of Orang Ulu through graphical expression. It also has the potential to boost the local economy by providing employment opportunities for skilled artisans. The paper highlights the importance of Orang Ulu motif design in their material culture, emphasizes the value of art as a tool for cultural expression and preservation, and outlines the development of these designs through graphic design and research. This study has adopted mixed-methods research to achieve its goal. The accomplished method for this study is categorized into three phases: research and inspiration in Orang Ulu's material culture market; 2D motif design conceptualization; and 3D artistic creation. This study recommends exploring the potential for incorporating Orang Ulu motifs in apparel products. The findings showcase the exciting potential for small and medium enterprises to preserve and promote the Orang Ulu cultural heritage and sustainability while providing economic benefits for the community.
... Orang Ulu's art and design were characterized by intricate patterns and motifs that reflected the community's spiritual beliefs, daily life, and natural surroundings. Prown (1982) describes that material culture is studied through artefacts that reflect the beliefs of a particular community or society at a given time. According to Miller et al. (2005), self-knowledge and self-actualization are contingent upon our ability to examine the historical context that has been shaped by our predecessors, as reflected in the material mirror. ...
... Due to the wide-ranging cultural diversity of objects, Prown (1982) suggested that the classification of things should be according to functions for cataloging purposes and the convenience of accessing information. He explained that the six classifications are art (paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture, photography), diversions (books, toys, games, meals, theatrical performances), adornment (jewelry, clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics), modifications of the landscape (architecture, agriculture), applied arts (furniture, furnishings, receptacles), and devices (machines, vehicles, musical instruments, implements, scientific instruments), of which the investigation on adornment design of Orang Ulu culture is selected for this study. ...
Orang Ulu's culture and traditions are adapting to modernization and
finding new ways to thrive amidst changes that have influenced various
aspects of their lives and material culture in Malaysia. This paper highlights
the exciting potential for Orang Ulu’s material culture to flourish through
the development of motif design and presents the first Orang Ulu woven
fabric in a 3D graphical view. Motif design is a beautiful way to preserve
and promote the rich cultural identity of Orang Ulu through graphical
expression. It also has the potential to boost the local economy by providing
employment opportunities for skilled artisans. The paper highlights the
importance of Orang Ulu motif design in their material culture, emphasizes
the value of art as a tool for cultural expression and preservation, and
outlines the development of these designs through graphic design and
research. This study has adopted mixed-methods research to achieve its
goal. The accomplished method for this study is categorized into three
phases: research and inspiration in Orang Ulu's material culture market;
2D motif design conceptualization; and 3D artistic creation. This study
recommends exploring the potential for incorporating Orang Ulu motifs in
apparel products. The findings showcase the exciting potential for small and
medium enterprises to preserve and promote the Orang Ulu cultural heritage
and sustainability while providing economic benefits for the community
... Curatorial Selection, Research Methods, and Theoretical Considerations The historic method was the primary research methodology employed in curating the exhibition. Within this, archival research and material culture analysis were used (Prown, 1982). Archival research drew information from a variety of industry and popular press sources, including Women's Wear Daily, Vogue, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and several small upstate New York popular press publications. ...
... Archival research drew information from a variety of industry and popular press sources, including Women's Wear Daily, Vogue, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and several small upstate New York popular press publications. We followed a modified version of Prown (1982). Material culture analysis was employed via a critical examination of the objects selected for inclusion in the exhibition (Figures 2 and 3). ...
... Adicionalmente, al contener los mates discursos auto-etnográficos, operan como fuentes no escritas, que dan cuenta de las tradiciones, prácticas y rituales más difundidos de sus respectivas zonas de origen. La multiplicidad y riqueza de las representaciones en los mates burilados otorga a estos objetos la capacidad de narrar en su superficie fragmentos de la historia material (Prown 1982), o, más específicamente, de la microhistoria material (Hanß 2018), ayudando a formar y comprender el pasado y el presente andino, contribuyendo, en su conjunto, a generar objetos que fijan la memoria indígena sobre esta sociedad en particular. ...
Este artículo analiza el circuito de proveniencia y la representación estética de un microrrelato sobre hechicería en el valle del Mantaro peruano. Grabado en un mate burilado que se encuentra en el Museo BASA (Colección de las Américas de Bonn) en Alemania, fue donado por la coleccionista Johanna Schupp en 2021. Destinados a diversos usos desde tiempos prehispánicos, los mates son objetos confeccionados con calabazas secas que luego se tallan, pigmentan o pirograban mediante diversas técnicas. El mate burilado que aquí se examina es de autoría del artista Guillermo Ventura, quien lo creó en la década de 1980 en el poblado rural de Cochas Chico. En él se representa la enfermedad andina del Chacho , contraída por un niño mediante un ‘Daño’ (brujería perpetrada por un hechicero), su método de diagnóstico mediante Jubeo de cuy, y su curación a través de una ofrenda o Kutichi , dedicada a la deidad tutelar que mora en la montaña local.
This article analyses the circuit of provenance and the aesthetic representation of a micro-story about witchcraft in the Mantaro Valley of Peru. Engraved on a carved gourd housed in the BASA Museum (Bonn Collection of the Americas) in Germany, it was donated by the collector Johanna Schupp in 2021. Used for various purposes since pre-Hispanic times, mates are objects made from dried gourds that are then carved, pigmented, or pyrographed using various techniques. The carved gourd examined here is the work of artist Guillermo Ventura, who created it in the 1980s in the rural town of Cochas Chico. It represents the Andean disease, Chacho, contracted by a child through Daño (witchcraft perpetrated by a sorcerer), its diagnosis method through Jubeo de cuy, and its cure through an offering or Kutichi, dedicated to the tutelary deity that lives in the local mountain.
... Stoga može obogatiti društvo promidžbom učenja i znanja, kulturne razmjene, ali i ekonomske aktivnosti, čineći kolekcije vrijednim i značajnim truda. Materijalnim značajem kolekcija bavi se niz autora, primjerice Prown (1982), Drost (2014) Među prvim suvremenim predmetima kolekcionarstva iz domene masovne proizvodnje sredinom 19. stoljeća pojavljuju se poštanske marke, a ubrzo potom i razglednice -kao lako dostupni predmeti u sustavnom sakupljanju, kojim se mogu baviti mnogi slojevi društva sukladno svojem obrazovanju, intelektualnoj radoznalosti, kupovnoj moći i drugim parametrima te shodno tome kreirati svoje manje ili veće kolekcije. ...
Rad, primarno kroz dva izdanja albuma samoljepljivih sličica s prikazima grbova gradova u tadašnjoj Jugoslaviji, ukazuje na poveznice triju društvenih fenomena, od kojih su dva nerijetko na margini socioloških istraživanja, a imaju ili su imala potencijal kao značajno formativno oruđe za izgradnju željenog društvenog uređenja i strukture u socijalističkoj Jugoslaviji. Prvo, fenomen sustavne brige za izgradnju društvenog identiteta pokazuje se kao značajan element društvene interakcije. Druga dva fenomena su kolekcionarstvo, sustavno sakupljanje određenih predmeta u potrošačkom društvu, povezano sa specifičnim zajednicama kolekcionara kao zanimljivom podskupinom u društvu, te heraldika, ovdje razmatrana kao fenomen uporabe grbova i drugih znakova kao simbola društvenih zajednica. Album slovenskog brenda žvakaćih guma Koloy’s Grbi Jugoslavije objavljen je 1968. godine i u novom oblikovanju slijedi uglavnom heraldičku tradiciju ovih prostora prilagođenu novom mediju, dok album novosadskog nakladnika NIŠRO Dnevnik Od Vardara pa do Triglava – Upoznajmo svoju domovinu, objavljen 1985. godine, uvodi inovativnu strategiju sakupljanja sličica koje se prodaju kao razglednice te je za njihovo sakupljanje potrebno obići zemlju ili ostvariti mrežu suradnika za razmjenu tih razglednica iz raznih dijelova države. Ove razglednice imale su i nezanemarivog uspjeha u tom svom primarnom, nekolekcionarskom obliku i bile u prodaji i poštanskoj uporabi gdjegdje (gdje ideološki simboli u samim grbovima to nisu spriječili) još dugo nakon raspada zajedničke države. Rad se na koncu ukratko osvrće i na neka druga izdanja kolekcionarskih albuma s temom grbova i zastava iz istog razdoblja.
... Because, and only because I was able to earn scholarship funding (based in part on my very "classical" and elitist education, albeit always in publicly funded schools), I was able to pursue my MA and PhD at Stanford in Art History, an elite and often feminized field. When I arrived, the number of "Americanists" working on material culture in the tradition of Jules Prown changed my trajectory forever (Prown 1982). I had always been drawn to mass culture and multiples, including prints and photography, but if my friends could work on tables and trade cards, why couldn't I work on fashion? ...
... In this way, it can be understood that objects and human identities are related. Also, materials play a significant role in the construction and maintenance of ideas, beliefs, identity, history, and a community's belief system (Prown 1982;Bronner 1986Bronner , 1999. ...
The main purpose of this study is to examine the prohibitions related to coil sewing and weaving in South Wollo. The primary reasons for the study are its limitations in this regard, the existence of benefits, and practical problems. The type of study is qualitative, and the approach is ethnographic. The study found that while prohibition discourses are generally carried out with good intentions, they play both a negative and a positive role. Prohibitions play a major role in teaching and maintaining the existing customs of society. Psychologically, the study indicated that they have the role of protecting the speakers and society from threats, and fear. In terms of the economy, the fact that they hurt economic income by opposing the desire to change, the freedom of work, and choice are themes that are mentioned negatively. The study shows that the prohibitions are based on words, actions, contexts, and actual events, and their representation is mostly symbolic and logical. In a nutshell, it is suggested by the researcher that it is possible to create strategies that can be changed into positive ideas in a community-oriented manner and that continuous research should be conducted in this regard.
... La materialidad misma produjo estimulación de los sentidos y la mente de todas las personas que interactuamos con ella, tanto de manera directa como a través del material fotográfico y filmado. Esto confirmó que sirven de manera efectiva como fuentes primarias de conocimiento como lo proponen Prown (1982) y Riello (2009). Este trabajo espera demostrar que la cultura material como fuente de conocimiento no se limita a una sola cosa, sino a todo un universo de diferentes significados estéticos, prácticos, políticos, culturales, históricos y contemporáneos. ...
Resumen (ES)El retorno de objetos pertenecientes a colecciones etnográficas a sus lugares de origen es un tema de discusión que, a pesar de no ser nuevo, ha ido cobrando cada vez más relevancia en la actualidad. Tomando como caso de estudio la colección de artesanía del pueblo indígena iku, en los archivos del Museo Nacional de Culturas del Mundo en Gotemburgo-Suecia, busco proponer una metodología basada en estudio de objetos (object-based study) que aumente y profundice la comprensión de la noción de administración ética, al tiempo que me uno a los debates actuales sobre el patrimonio indígena y la decolonialidad. La metodología incluyó visitas de campo al archivo del museo, el estudio basado en objetos, el análisis visual, la revisión documental y entrevistas semiestructuradas. Este trabajo se enfoca en la colección de artesanía indígena iku, colectada por el etnógrafo sueco Gustaf Bolinder entre 1914 y 1915 en la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, al norte de Colombia. El trabajo evoca una discusión sobre la relevancia de los estudios basados en objetos y sobre la necesidad de involucrar epistemologías del «Sur» y metodologías no plenamente reconocidas por los marcos educativos occidentales dominantes para lograr una producción de conocimiento más inclusiva y asertiva.
Palabras clave: cultura material arhuaca; artesanía indígena; estudios objetuales; administración compartida; decolonialidad, Gustaf Bolinder.
... As archaeometry represents the interface between archaeology and the physical sciences, its subject matter includes the quest for integrating both functional information and assumptions, and historical trajectories to understand the historic technological change (Tite, 2008). In this way, archaeometry has greatly influenced and thereby enriched contemporary archaeology by probing beyond the triad of sensory experience, intellectual engagement, and emotional response (Prown, 1982) a ceramic object elicits in the eye and mind of a classic archaeologist. Ideally, the synergistic interaction of scientists and archaeologists results in a tangible scientific success along the dictum expressed by the Nobelist Werner Heisenberg that 'The most fruitful developments have always occurred in areas where two different modes of thinking have met' (Heisenberg, 1984). ...
This contribution discusses salient aspects of the development of ceramics technology from its invention to the present, and the role ceramics have played during the cultural development and technological progress of ancient and modern societies. The conjecture is being advanced that the transformation of ceramic production modes from holistic, that is, individualistic processes to prescriptive, that is, cooperative industrially determined technologies had a profound and lasting impact on the social, economic, and cultural fabric of all societies. In addition, the chaotic and thus, nondeterministic interaction of ceramic technology and society, and the transfer of information among potters will be described in terms of the concept of strange attractors as well as sets of self‐normalizing ‘memes’ (ideas) in a Lamarckian and/or Darwinian mode. Such specific ideas drive cultural and, by inference, technological evolution of societies.
... T hroughout history, humans have used every available means to survive by implementing their skills and abilities to build shelters out of the available resources, make weapons for hunting, fishing, and selfprotection, or simply as a decorative means like clothing and artwork. These material objects are socially and culturally dependent and embody an individual's cultural reality (Prown, 1982;Lynch, 2009;Woodward & Fisher, 2014). ...
This essay focuses on the dynamic role of material culture in reflecting indi-viduals' identities. It aims to highlight the importance of making and remaking material objects and examines the emotional impacts of objects. It also places on the individual's identities by drawing on the interplay of "posthumanism" and "nonessentialist" standpoints. For this study, three research participants, two male and one female, narrated their stories and explained how their identities had been influenced by the objects they used and the places they visited. The analysis in this essay is part of a larger project that looks at identity negotiation and navigation within a group of Iraqi Kurdish migrants in the United Kingdom. The findings reveal a robust association between humans, material possessions, and places. Hitherto, neither persons nor objects can withstand alone since the two function together and are intertwined in many respects. They are associated with deep emotional investment and powerfully influence an individual's identity, emotions, and well-being. To the participants, objects are material capsules that make places "sticky"; they are a connecting product that links the feeling, sites, and landscapes from the past in establishing a better future.
... Aside from facing anxieties and embracing the idea of continuous learning, each set of post-reflective surveys included responses that indicate that working with historic garments encouraged students to reserve judgements and avoid making assumptions about the people who made or wore the clothing. The importance of not making any assumptions is a key tenant of object-based research (Mida & Kim, 2015;Prown, 1982), which requires one to look for clues before drawing any conclusions. ...
Object-based learning is at the foundation of fashion education as touch is a primary means to understanding clothing and textiles. Therefore, the utilisation of historic clothing and textile collections is vital, even in a time when more institutions are putting greater emphasis on digitisation and online engagement. This study’s purpose was to assess the benefits of fashion design students physically engaging with a historic clothing and textiles collection through a series of workshops. The framework for the workshops employed experiential learning theory. Utilising a case study of two apparel design course sections, the students’ experiences with the workshops were assessed by pre- and post-reflective surveys analyzed by constant comparative analysis. The study’s findings have implications for educators in utilising historic collections to broaden students’ perspectives, enhance critical thinking skills, and encourage them to enjoy the process of learning instead of concentrating on searching for the ‘right’ answers.
... Careful studies on their constitution, enrichment and dispersion have allowed scholars to reconstruct the practise of research and teaching in many universities and institutes in various periods. 1 Collections researched, preserved, and included in published catalogues are essential primary sources for a full account of the past practice of science. 2 The literature on material culture has shown how artefacts have assumed a central role in the study of the beliefs-according to Jules David Prown understood as ideas, values, attitudes, and assumptions-of a particular society at a given time. 3 Objects are material things that persist and allow access tp the history * Laura Rigotti received a master's degree in physics at the University of Bologna and is a scholarship recipient for post-graduate research activities. Eugenio Bertozzi is assistant professor in the history of physics and curator of the historical collection of physics instruments of the University of Bologna. of people; examining objects traces the cultural context in which they were created and in which they have evolved. ...
This paper reconstructs the process of identification and understanding of an ensemble of historic physics instruments carried out between 2021 and 2022 at the Department of Physics and Astronomy “Augusto Righi” of the University of Bologna. The ensemble of 244 instruments is part of the Collection of Physics of the University and corresponds to the main core of the nineteenth-century Cabinet of Physics of the University of Bologna. After a brief recollection of the complex history of the cabinet the paper brings into light the different aspects involved in the identification and understanding of a scientific instrument. The various challenges concern the use of the resources available, the role of the experts, the study in situ and the use of original archive sources. In addition, a contextualization of the present study in the current literature on material culture studies and history of scientific instruments will bring to light the importance of the analysis of historical and trade catalogues, both for retracing the trajectories of a specific artefact and for the study of its relationships with users, donors, collectors, previous owners, and other objects.
... T hroughout history, humans have used every available means to survive by implementing their skills and abilities to build shelters out of the available resources, make weapons for hunting, fishing, and selfprotection, or simply as a decorative means like clothing and artwork. These material objects are socially and culturally dependent and embody an individual's cultural reality (Prown, 1982;Lynch, 2009;Woodward & Fisher, 2014). ...
This essay focuses on the dynamic role of material culture in reflecting indi-viduals' identities. It aims to highlight the importance of making and remaking material objects and examines the emotional impacts of objects. It also places on the individual's identities by drawing on the interplay of "posthumanism" and "nonessentialist" standpoints. For this study, three research participants, two male and one female, narrated their stories and explained how their identities had been influenced by the objects they used and the places they visited. The analysis in this essay is part of a larger project that looks at identity negotiation and navigation within a group of Iraqi Kurdish migrants in the United Kingdom. The findings reveal a robust association between humans, material possessions, and places. Hitherto, neither persons nor objects can withstand alone since the two function together and are intertwined in many respects. They are associated with deep emotional investment and powerfully influence an individual's identity, emotions, and well-being. To the participants, objects are material capsules that make places "sticky"; they are a connecting product that links the feeling, sites, and landscapes from the past in establishing a better future.
... As carriers of meaning with the ability to articulate historical processes and patterns belonging to the broader field of social and cultural history, collected and preserved artefacts open up the possibility of a direct, object-attentive methodological approach to scholarly investigations in a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary fields, ranging from art history and anthropology, to craft and design studies. Within the specific sphere of material culture research, the analysis and interpretation of extant objects, as well as the focus on their position within a range of community settings, expands the perspectives obtained through the study of visual and documentary sources by enabling archival remains to uncover encapsulated cultural beliefs and expressions of value [1]. In addition, historical abilities of objects to enter new cycles of consumption, extend their life expectancies as commodities, and transform their cultural biographies [2] highlight the ways in which interactions with the material world shape relationships between humans and objects, including the construction and communication of social and economic issues related to personal and collective circumstances. ...
By adopting new museological functions, surviving artefacts open up the possibility of illuminating complex interrelations between the lifecycle of humans and objects. Imbued with a unique and intimate material memory, historical textiles encapsulate evidence surrounding their conceptualisation, production, and consumption, as well as their distinct participation in the construction of social and cultural identities. Encouraged by conservation-related requirements and challenges posed by the traditional mechanics of storage and display, collections and archives have embraced a range of advanced technologies in order to strengthen their role as repositories of material information. The potentially unlimited virtual space of digital representations contributes to the specific goals of individual collections by enabling enhanced accessibility and widespread dissemination of content, thus allowing the values embedded within the physical structure of objects by both their makers and users to cross the barriers of institutional settings. Furthermore, considering the fragile nature of historical textiles and their susceptibility to deterioration, the development of digital collections lowers the risks of excessive handling while providing unprecedented opportunities for scholarly research and alternative pathways to artefact investigation. In order to address the diverse implications of the digitisation process, this paper will explore the relationship between physical and digital collections of dress and textile objects as material remnants of the past, the ability of digital representations to convey authentic cultural meaning and value, as well as the ongoing demand for the standardisation of data and its interoperability within the digital environment.
This article is a study on the miniature clay Buddha tablets and stupas collected by the Ōtani Expedition presently at the National Museum of Korea. Similar examples were found in the Dunhuang cave temples, Buddhist stupas of Xi Xia, and through English and American expeditions of the early twentieth century. A comparative study establishes the functions and characteristics unique to the Ōtani clay tablets and stupas. Such artifacts were once believed to absolve the transgressions of the dead or commissioner, while also allowing one to accumulate merits for an improved afterlife. Well-suited for Buddhist missionary work, these tablets and stupas were produced in all regions where Buddhism was prevalent. Though small and made from a modest material, the miniature clay tablets and stupas represent an important genre of Buddhist art that expresses the universal role of religious art.
To investigate historical artifacts it can be helpful to use methods developed in museal contexts. This chapter introduces the methods and concepts that will be applied in Chapter 6 to the volvelles from the corpus of editions of Johannes de Sacrobosco’s Sphaera . As the volvelles are not images but rather instruments and can be manipulated, they were explored with the help of Edward McClung Fleming’s so called Winterthur model, in which an artifact’s five basic properties—history, material, construction, design, and function—are explored by following a workflow that consists of the operations identification, evaluation, cultural analysis, and interpretation. This methodology was used alongside Davis Baird’s concept of “Thing Knowledge.”
This article examines the fashion trend system in the context of sustainability. It investigates consumer viewpoints which bring new perspectives on the manifestations of trends and their impact on sustainability. Previous research on the trend cycle has tended to focus on how the cycle begins and ends, with an emphasis on short-lived trends, and has not focused on consumer perceptions. In contrast, this article presents new research that evidences how fast fashion can have longevity beyond trends, by focusing on the experience of wear. This draws out a deeper understanding of the impacts of trends on consumer behaviour in the context of fast fashion, where the trend cycle moves quickly. In particular, the research has revealed that it is important to consider the lives of the individual consumer and their behaviour in relation to challenging existing assumptions that trends are inherently short lived. Primary research data, realized through a series of wardrobe studies, show how a selection of young fashion consumers are behaving with regard to fast fashion. Unexpected results show how many participants owned fast fashion clothing that lasted longer than anticipated, with surprising durability. In addition, fast fashion can, just like other garments, be subject to emotional attachment. Fostering deep attachments to clothing offers opportunities to extend the use time of garments. The historic workings of the trend system have initiated a fastness to fashion that this research has sought to challenge.
his study explored the complex relationship between culture and development through the lens of traditional West Gojam foods, beverages, and food rituals. The researcher employed ethnographic methods–observation, interviews, and group discussions–to gather data. The study found that these traditions have a two-sided impact on development. On the positive side, traditional food and beverage production creates jobs and income, reducing unemployment and motivating community members to engage in work. Additionally, food rituals strengthen social bonds and build social capital, which is a valuable asset for community development. However, the study also identified negative cultural beliefs surrounding food and beverages that can hinder development, particularly regarding gender roles. The researcher suggested that training programs should be implemented to address these negative attitudes, ultimately leading to a more prosperous society and nation.
A new trend appears to be emerging with certain artists working with AI and exhibitions promoting the technology. Often directly financed by Silicon Valley companies through residencies, grants or partnerships, these artists and exhibitions are contributing to the construction of a new paradigm: what art and technology scholar Joanna Zylinska refers to as "platform art" in "AI Art: Machine Visions and Warped Dreams”. I broaden her 2020 study by looking at newer aesthetic patterns that are emerging in what I argue is phantasmagoric: immersive, hypnotic, seductive, terrifying, and sometimes even giving off the impression of the ethereal, sacred and divine. Artists can deconstruct dominant, misleading narratives around AI innovation and look to the technology’s potential for positive outcomes. Instead, these artworks gloss over the power structures behind the development and deployment of these technologies and ultimately add to the ominous shadow being cast over the technology’s hidden functionalities, biases, underlying histories and Silicon Valley ideologies.
The use of clay and ceramic mediums in contemporary art has received considerable attention in relation to their materiality. Materiality is generally understood within a given cultural perspective, referring to the perception of the physical qualities of an object that are related to its purpose, meaning and value in society. This representational possibility has attracted the interest of many artists to the mediums of clay and ceramic. However, material culture cannot fully explain material phenomena or their relationship to humans. The only way to understand a material is to be directly involved in making with it, as physical interaction with the material provides a deeper understanding and connection that cannot be achieved through cultural interpretation alone. Albert Yonathan Setyawan, an Indonesian artist based in Japan, is renowned for his predominantly clay and ceramic works. He creates palm-sized objects that are replicated innumerable times and installed in symmetrical patterns. Setyawan’s works exhibit spiritual dimensions through the use of repetition, order, meditation and transformational qualities. This article applies a phenomenological approach to understanding Setyawan’s practice through an examination of these objects and his experience with his materials. This article likewise discusses how making activity intercedes in the relationship between human artists and their materials. It also explores the way that making has contributed to Setyawan’s artist–maker sensitivity and knowledge of both material properties and the logics of specific forms and methods, as well as the metaphorical possibilities that shape the aesthetic qualities and concept of a given work. Interestingly, Setyawan’s practice is linked to various aspects of past human activity. The article concludes that an artist’s making influences attitudes, ways of thinking and the understanding of practices and the environment. In Setyawan’s practice, materials and making become active ways of engaging with the world and with the self.
Art and literature, already subjects of extensive debate, become even more complex when qualified as ‘folk’ or ‘rural.’ Defining these expressions is challenging because they draw from multiple disciplines such as anthropology, community studies, art history, narrative traditions, religiosity, and historiography. At their core, folk creative practices embody an intricate process where diverse elements converge into culturally significant forms. This convergence reflects the dynamic interplay between individual expression and collective cultural influences, intertwining both tangible artifacts and intangible beliefs, a discourse discussed by the Material Culture School. Consequently, these creations serve as indicators of broader socio-economic, historical, and political frameworks. Their inherent ambiguity defies simple categorization, urging continual reassessment of how creative practices express and shape the evolving cultural codes and social norms within any given society.
From a theoretical perspective interested in the functionality of material culture and its implications for the understanding of Greek comedy, this article will analyze, in Peace (421 B.C.E.), the episode of War’s entrance and the description of his culinary preparations towards the end of the play's prologue (vv. 236-300). War (Polemos), represented here as a Panhellenic tyrant capable of exerting force over the objects around him, replaces in its personification the divine agency and is opposed in these verses to the passive description of the cities as mere ingredients of a sauce recipe he intends to eat. Ironically, the play will show that reification ends up functioning as a triggering instance of political subjectivity at the international level.
From a theoretical perspective interested in the functionality of material culture and its implications for the understanding of Greek comedy, this article will analyze, in Peace (421 B.C.E.), the episode of War’s entrance and the description of his culinary preparations towards the end of the play's prologue (vv. 236-300). War (Polemos), represented here as a Panhellenic tyrant capable of exerting force over the objects around him, replaces in its personification the divine agency and is opposed in these verses to the passive description of the cities as mere ingredients of a sauce recipe he intends to eat. Ironically, the play will show that reification ends up functioning as a triggering instance of political subjectivity at the international level.
Globalizing Europe explores modern Europe's myriad entanglements with the wider world, considering the continent not only as an engine but also as a product of global transformations. It looks at the ways in which the global movements of peoples and ideas, goods and raw materials, flora and fauna have impacted life on the continent over the centuries. Bringing together a group of leading historians, the book shows how the history of Europe can be integrated into global history. Taken together, its chapters will help reshape our understanding of the boundaries of Europe – and the field of modern European history.
This translation of "Historical Writing: A Student’s Guide" by William Storey Kelleher is the result of years of teaching and interacting with second-year students in the Humanities program, specializing in History, in the course Methodology and Techniques of Historical Research. I have relied on this book as a primary source in my lectures for over seven years due to its clear guidance and practical tools that help students understand the fundamentals of historical research and develop their academic writing skills.
The translation was undertaken in response to the need for an accessible Arabic-language resource that explains how to engage with historical sources, construct arguments, and present critical analyses based on sound methodological principles. This work aims to spread knowledge and facilitate access to essential tools for every history student and researcher, whether in their academic studies or research career.
Material culture encompasses more than objects; it represents the dynamic interactions between people and artifacts, embedding cultural practices, values, and social structures within tangible forms. Rooted primarily in archaeology and anthropology, Material Culture is closely associated with technology, understood as the processes and systems underlying artifact creation and use. This relationship underscores technology´s role as a cultural process, involving the organization of knowledge, practices, and social interactions. While Material Culture focuses on artifacts as cultural symbols, technology explores their production processes. Holistic technologies, characterized by individual artisans' control over production, contrast with prescriptive technologies, which employ segmented labour, reflecting advancements in social and economic organization. The distinction highlights the interplay between technological practices and societal dynamics. Anthropological studies demonstrate how cultural factors influence technological practices, including gendered roles in the creation of artifacts. Artifacts encode information, not only serving utilitarian purposes but also acting as media for memory, identity, and power relations. The meanings embedded in the objects often transcend their materiality, reflecting complex social and cultural ideologies. By bridging the tangible and intangible, Material Culture provides a critical framework for understanding the relationship between culture, technology, and society. This perspective reveals how technological processes shape human experience and contribute to the materialization of cultural values and beliefs, offering valuable insights into the evolution of social systems and identities.
El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo realizar un primer análisis, desde el enfoque de la cultura material, al barómetro que Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna identificó como el único que existía en Santiago de Chile a principios del siglo XIX. Tras una revisión de los primeros medios de comunicación publicados en el país, como La Aurora de Chile o El Mercurio Chileno, además de artículos científicos y documentación del siglo XIX, se elaboró una breve biografía de este instrumento y se propone que propició la circulación del conocimiento meteorológico a nivel transnacional. Se sugiere también que pudo cumplir distintos roles en su interacción con la sociedad de la época, siendo un vínculo entre las ciencias atmosféricas y las personas, y un articulador de relaciones sociales.
En este artículo se analiza la integración de los procesos lúdicos en la temática y la narrativa representada en la ficción de un juego. Proponemos que un proceso, que no prescribe lo que se debe imaginar, llega a hacerlo cuando se le asocia una metáfora que lo convierte en un apoyo, es decir, “un generador de verdad ficcional” (Walton, 1993a). Llamamos metáfora como poiesis al tipo de metáfora que transforma un proceso en atrezo. El proceso como atrezo invita a los jugadores a involucrarse en la ludoficción, así como a establecer un diálogo coherente con su temática y narrativa. Concluimos el artículo con el ejemplo de varias metáforas que se integran apropiadamente con sus procesos en los juegos The British Way y Earthborne Rangers y un ejemplo de integración inapropiada encontrado en el juego de mesa ¡Resistid!
This paper develops an anthropological approach in order to examine the collecting of “ordinary things” as a private, home-based, leisure activity. The research was conducted in the region of Nouvelle Aquitaine, located in the south-west of France, where the author has lived since 2012. The aim of this ethnographic research is to describe the interaction between two interconnected worlds, the human and the material. Objects, as such, cannot be attributed to any single category – be they utilitarian, decorative, or fetish-objects etc. In fact, every object has the capacity of becoming singular in the eyes of the possessor. Their varying importances will depends on the owner’s perspective and the meaning he or she may attribute to them. They become a part of peoples’ lives, shaping and helping to create their identity. Collectors, taken in by these objects, reserve for them a special place in their homes, going so far as devising special rules for their use.
Aunque la mayoría de las obras de arte tienen un componente físico ineludible, el estudio de la cultura material en la historia del arte ha estado menos desarrollado que el de otro tipo de objetos como los de las llamadas artes "artes menores" o "artes aplicadas". En el caso de las obras artísticas, la primacía del factor estético/visual ha oscurecido a menudo la materialidad. Sin embargo, no podemos perder de vista que las obras de arte son objetos en primer lugar, y que la materialidad precede a las imágenes que transmiten. Este artículo quiere reflexionar primero sobre el estado de la cuestión respecto a los estudios de la cultura material como fuente para la investigación histórica tanto en el ámbito anglosajón como latinoamericano, para luego explorar algunos de sus alcances, oportunidades y posibles proyecciones para los campos de la historia y la historia del arte. Para esta última disciplina identificamos tres aproximaciones al objeto de estudio desde la perspectiva de la cultura material: el estudio de la obra de arte como artefacto, el estudio de los objetos representados y el estudio del entorno material del artista (su taller). Ilustraremos estos tres enfoques con ejemplos desde la literatura académica revisada.
This article presents my reflections on a method that attempts to bridge a methodological divide in fashion studies by blending garment analysis and wardrobe interviews. In doing so it presents the ways in which we can consider evidence from the subject, the object and the subject–object assemblage. Garment analysis is a method rooted in dress history and fashion curation, whereas wardrobe interviews grew out of anthropology and sociology. While wardrobe interviews do to some extent offset the preference for language in interviews, what is missing was a systematic way of encouraging a deeper engagement with that garment. Interview techniques can provoke the wearers or owners of clothes to narrate their garments. With one method we consider the object, the other method the subject. My research gathers evidence from both the subject and the object by blending garment analysis with wardrobe interviews to uncover the meanings entangled in objects and memories, to interrogate what we can consider evidence from the subject, the object and the subject–object assemblage. My study explores how this methodological pluralism can allow movement between material, semiotic and affective interpretations of garments. I conclude by emphasizing the importance of both the physical garment and the embodied experience of wearing to fashion research and argue that ‘turns’ in the discipline should instead be considered as expansions that allow the coexistence of multiple approaches.
p>The translation presents excerpts from an article published in Italian Studies, the largest scientific journal devoted exclusively to the study of Italian culture in English and Italian. The article explores contemporary approaches to the study of the material environment and materiality, in particular — as applied to the study of Italian culture. Interest in the problem of materiality in the English-speaking research environment is largely associated with the spread of actor-network theory and the revision of the ontological status of things in culture. At the same time, other approaches are not excluded, leaving the field of material culture studies as an interdisciplinary space. Several trends can be identified in studies of the materiality of Italian culture. The first branch is connected with the concept of “consumption” and the analysis of various goods in their economic and symbolic dimensions. To a large extent, studies of consumer culture focus on studies of the culture of the Renaissance, on the assumption that it was at that time that the patterns and symbolic practices of this cultural phenomenon were conceived. The article includes a practical study of this topic based on the analysis of the artifacts of pharmacies of the Renaissance. Another significant area is the study of books and literature. In the English-speaking environment, in contrast to the Italian and Russian academic tradition, philology as a scientific discipline is not widely spread, and specialists from other areas are also engaged in text research. In addition to textual analysis, contemporary research focuses heavily on the materiality of the book itself — the study of materials, their origins, migration, the techniques required to process them. Various combinations of distinctive features of the books, among other things, formed readers' ideas about the significance of certain cultural characters and events. At the same time, Dante, Petrarch and Bocaccio still remain the central figures of research, which is largely due to the active funding of these studies, including those from the Italian state. Another large and less specialized branch of research is connected with the symbolic dimension of material objects. The article gives an example of such work on the study of the dynamics of the appearance, transformation and migration of the monuments of Dante Alighieri, which since the middle of the 19th century occupied a central place in the squares, acting as a symbol of the new united state, and over time began to lose their place as the center of the material environment of Italian cities, and in the symbolic space of Italian culture. The proposed methodologies should be considered as possible ways of working in the interdisciplinary space of materiality studies, which open up great opportunities in the study and understanding of Italian culture.
The translation was made according to the publication: Daniels R., O’Connor A., Tycz K. “Italian material cultures”, Italian Studies , 2020 , no. 2 : 155–175. URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/00751634.2020.1750272</a
The making of fashionable women's dress in Georgian England necessitated an inordinate amount of manual labour. From the mantuamakers and seamstresses who wrought lengths of silk and linen into garments, to the artists and engravers who disseminated and immortalised the resulting outfits in print and on paper, Georgian garments were the products of many busy hands. This Element centres the sartorial hand as a point of connection across the trades which generated fashionable dress in the eighteenth century. Crucially, it engages with recreation methodologies to explore how the agency and skill of the stitching hand can inform understandings of craft, industry, gender, and labour in the eighteenth century. The labour of stitching, along with printmaking, drawing, and painting, composed a comprehensive culture of making and manual labour which, together, constructed eighteenth-century cultures of fashionable dress.
The prospect of reaching the end of history as we know it through the emergence of an artificial general intelligence (AGI) is likely, as many AI researchers believe. While their opinions may differ regarding the AGI's expected arrival time, it is agreed that it will arrive eventually given that no major catastrophe precedes the event which puts all scientific research on hold (such as in the case of a nuclear disaster). Researchers in AI and other fields also argue on the matter of the AGI's expected ethical stance or lack thereof, ranging from optimism to strong pessimism. Will AGI end our history with its benevolence? Or will it inadvertently-or intentionally-convert all matter in space to create paperclips and in the process of doing so, perish all of humanity? To counter argue for the sake of maintaining flexibility under uncertainty, this essay will instead discuss the notion of an AGI emerging a second time as a conscious entity. This leaves the window of possibilities a little bit more open, just enough to reconfigure the commonly debated two-sided scenarios of the matter at hand. For the popular two-sided AGI scenarios, many AI researchers refrain from delving too deep into the possibility of the AGI either acquiring consciousness, or consciousness being generated or 'activated' through or after the final stages of self-recursive improvement. 1 This is mainly due to the complexity and mystification surrounding the notion of consciousness, as David Chalmers puts it "the hard problem of consciousness". 2 Additionally, AI researchers are not too focused on the issue of consciousness as they are now dealing with other issues deemed more immediately pressing. Thus, the two scenarios revolve around an AGI that does not have consciousness, even though it may appear (through its actions) as though it did have it. Generally speaking, the crucial problem to solve here in wanting to guarantee the emergence of a benevolent AGI is one of a primarily philosophical taste: how do we ensure that this AGI will be aligned with our human values? This is difficult to solve, and perhaps even more difficult than it is anticipated. Philosophers and scholars of different disciplines have been debating ethics for centuries yet never reached consensus. Not only this, but the idea of somehow converting philosophical notions of ethics (even if we get ethics 'right') is still not as easy, due to the complexity of using formal logic to assign numbers to ethical values, as well as the prospect of incorporating 'ethical equations' into computer code. Ideally, if the problem of ethics and values, a centuries old problem, is solved before AGI emerges then we might be bestowed with the kind god that we have always needed; one that cures diseases and ends poverty and war. However, if we cannot solve the problem before the instance of emergence, then humanity will have no chance but to succumb to whatever absurd fate that awaits it. I will not ponder as much on those two scenarios; instead, I will approach this topic with an ontological framework and address the possibility of the AGI's second emergence and how this second emergence may open the door to more than just two potential scenarios.
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