Miniature objects as representations of realia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3918944 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Pauline Kiernan (0000-0001-7800-2127, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, corresponding author), Philip Kiernan |
| Year | 2015 |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 45-59 |
| Publication date | 2015-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | World Archaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0043-8243 • E-ISSN: 1470-1375 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00438243.2014.991802 |
| OpenAlex | W2325153212 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 10 |
| References cited | 10 |
Miniature objects are usually considered first as ritual objects, as substitutes for larger items, or as signifiers of abstract concepts. Too little attention is paid to their value as representations, and as a source for ancient day-to-day objects, or realia. But before we can use them as evidence for larger objects, we must first understand the manner in which any group of miniature objects depicts reality. Examples of miniature objects from Iron Age and Roman Western Europe are considered here using the art-historical concept of a continuum of representation, on which miniatures range from realistic to abstract modes of representation. Some miniatures offer direct and accurate evidence about realia, others are schematic or semi-abstract. While the latter modes of representation offer little direct evidence for the appearance of ancient realia, they nonetheless may indicate how realia were perceived.Keywords: Miniaturesrealiamaterial cultureartefactsreligionMithrassymbolerepresentationsymbolismcontinuum of representationrealismabstractionschematizationvotive offeringsgrave goodsSalisbury HoardWestern EuropeIron AgeRoman EmpireCologneCorentKardenMouzonRodenkirchenBrühlcoinsweaponsfarming equipmentploughing AcknowledgementsThis paper was written while on a visiting fellowship to the Römisch-Germanische Kommission of the German Archaeological Institute in Frankfurt. My thanks to Lindsay Allason-Jones for her comments on the first draft of the paper.Additional informationNotes on contributorsPhilip KiernanPhilip Kiernan, PhD, Heidelberg 2007 is Assistant Professor of Classical Archaeology in the Department of Classics at the University at Buffalo. Much of his research is on the archaeology of Roman religion, including his 2009 book on miniature votive offerings. He recently completed the excavation of a Bronze-Iron Age tumulus known as 'Idol Hill' in southern Germany
Archaeology · Art · Library science · Object (grammar · Realia · Visual arts · Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science · Digital Humanities and Scholarship · History
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| Unique citing works | 10 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,91 |
| Citation span | 2015 - 2026 (12) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 10 |