medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
From: Genevra Kornbluth <[log in to unmask]>
> On 11/8/2012 9:43 AM, Christopher Crockett wrote:
>> i have a question about the proper term to use to refer to most of the
objects in that list, viz., portable altars, crosses, crosiers, chalices,
patens, altar cloths, etc.
> I generally call such things 'liturgical art' or 'ecclesiastical
metalwork'. You could always simply term them 'ars sacra', as in the
title of Lasko's book.
From: Jon Cannon <[log in to unmask]>
>'Furnishings' is one catch-all one often sees.
thanks for the Thoughts, Jon & Genevra.
yes, i should have thought to look at Lasko (Duh), to avoid having to
re-invent this particular wheel myself.
otOh, "furnishings" implies "furniture," so it doesn't really extract me from
my fundamental Dilemma.
and "metialwork" doesn't work for altar cloths (even those embroidered with
gold or silver); while "art" is, well... it's "art," and i'm trying to get
around the "minor arts" moniker --mainly because i don't know how big, say, a
free-standing statue has to be before it is no longer "minor" but "major."
or, is it the *medium* which determines the "minor" massage?
so, a small (3 inch high) statuette in gilded bronze
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O129531/mare-the-sea-figure-unknown/
is clearly in the "minor arts" classification, but a foot (or 18 inch or 24
inch) high wooden statue is not so designated?
what if the 12 inch statue is clothed in beaten gold (a la Ste Foi in
Conques)?
http://www.lessing-photo.com/search.asp?a=1&kc=202020207D90&kw=SAINT+FOY%2C+CONQUES&p=1&ipp=
what if she had survived but had lost her clothes and was just a lump of
articulated wood?
is this piece of "metalwork"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Renier_de_Huy_JPG01.jpg
a "minor art"?
what if i blow it up
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Renier_de_Huy_JPG01.jpg
?
still "minor"?
Picky, Picky, Picky.
seems that it's a bit like Pornography, and we know it when we see it, but
can't really define it 'cause it keeps slipping out of our nice, defining
categories.
i'll definitely look at Lasko.
thanks again.
anyone else?
c
**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
to: [log in to unmask]
To send a message to the list, address it to:
[log in to unmask]
To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
to: [log in to unmask]
In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
[log in to unmask]
For further information, visit our web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
|