When art historian Meredith Martin was introduced to an 18th-century ballet that allegorically depicts Europe’s pursuit of porcelain, she knew pursuing a historically accurate reconstruction of the ballet would risk reinforcing harmful racial stereotypes and exoticization of Asian cultures. Instead, she and choreographer Phil Chan conceived of a restaging that would center Asian American experience within this history.
Read More
Glass beads, though likely considered mundane at the time, now offer rich insight into the Middle Ages. Danish researchers dug deeper into the history of these beads by analyzing glass samples from two different workshops at the historical Ribe trading site in Denmark.
Read More
With more than 100 million items in the Library of Congress collections, it can be difficult for Library staff to showcase all the wonderful items in storage and educate the public on their importance. Last week, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden realized the perfect opportunity to highlight one very special item—a glass flute gifted to U.S. president James Madison—through a collaboration with pop megastar and classically trained flutist Lizzo.
Read More
More than two years have passed since a massive stockpile of ammonium nitrate exploded at the port of Beirut, killing hundreds and displacing thousands in the capital of Lebanon. The restoration of some shattered ancient glass vessels by a collaborative international partnership serves as a microcosm for the larger restoration efforts.
Read More
Mona Passage, a strait which separates the islands of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, is believed to have served as a reception area for migration groups during the early Common Era. A recent open-access study contends that despite there being a broader regional network of interaction, the stable manufacturing tradition suggests a cultural continuity in the communities that lived there.
Read More
Computer-based methods aid in identification, classification, and reconstruction of ancient artifacts. A recent review paper outlines the strengths and weaknesses of current state-of-the-art computer-based methods for analyzing archaeological pottery.
Read More
As new analysis methods are developed and refined, researchers can illuminate the science behind past techniques that were designed through trial and error. A group led by researchers from the California Institute of Technology used advanced analytical techniques to show how nanoscale engineering gave a historic purple overglaze its distinctive iridescence.
Read More
Hyperspectral imaging has gained much attention in the field of cultural heritage, but there are difficulties using it outdoors due to ever-changing levels of light. Researchers looked to overcome this limitation by developing a calibration method that can account for and eliminate variations in illumination.
Read More
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is contributing to an ongoing surge in fuel prices that has greatly affected numerous European industries since last fall. Last November we reported on challenges faced by the ceramics industry, and today we look at the struggles of Venice glassblowers to keep their centuries-old tradition alive.
Read More
Historical research on the trade of metal supplies and objects often overshadows studies on the practices, recipes, and supplies of clays used by metallurgists of the time. Researchers in Belgium and France characterized metallurgical ceramic samples from the remains of a Late Medieval Period foundry in Brussels and found the analyses, in conjunction with written sources, highlight the mobility of clay materials, not just metal.
Read More