Please look at this item from the met https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/455059
and look at a few additional sources about the time period and art style and follow the instructions below carfully ( no need for a title page but please include footnotes)
Read these instuctions super carefully please
Pick an object that you really like, from a NYC collection, (preferably the Metropolitan Museum of Art), something that falls within the dates of the things we are studying in our seminar (roughly speaking: prehistoric times to early 19th century) and something from a country, region, culture that interests you. This could be a room, a sculpture, a vase, a painting, print, armor, jewelry, a chariot, porcelain, weapons, tapestries, furniture, musical instruments, and the list goes on and on. You have a huge selection. If you are uncertain about appropriate dates, glance at our syllabus to see where we begin and end.
Be creative!!! Yes, describe your object but describe it with LOVE, (assuming you love your object of choice.) This is not a formal analysis. I don’t need to know about every single detail but just the details that matter, that are most significant. Yes, you SHOULD think about your object’s visual/aesthetic characteristics: size, color(s), materials, textures, etc etc. But MORE IMPORTANT, consider the social & cultural CONTEXT: where/when was it made?, for whom was it made?, how was it made?, are there others like it?, was it for a private or elite audience?, or perhaps for a broader audience? Does it convey (communicate) something about the intended “user” or “patron” or, maybe, it is more generic and may have been used by many different people or, perhaps, it appeared in a place for many people to see? How does/did the object convey its particular message/purpose and does it do so “successfully”? How did it “communicate”? What’s “special” about the piece?
This idea of being “special” is, of course, relative — “special” might indicate that it was made using new technologies of the time period—technologies that may have been considered “modern”, or perhaps the workmanship was particularly exquisite, or it conveys its purpose in especially unusual ways, or it is somehow “poetic”, that it may function on different levels or convey different narratives—narratives that relate to the object itself, but also to the larger culture, and relate, perhaps, even to something contemporary — as I sometimes tried to do in class!!! Try to keep in mind that all these objects really tell a particular story, if not multiple stories!
That is, it may have been made in a specific time and far-away place but, just maybe, it somehow speaks to something more current/contemporary to you as well. How might we think about ancient objects and then, perhaps, somehow make these things relevant to us in the present? Imagine even, that one day in the distant future, students may study your designs or artwork and question why/how those things may be significant to them? As I’ve said, one goal is to breathe life into this material, to imagine these things in a fully living/breathing/colorful, 3-dimensional world (not just some old stuff sitting statically and silently in a museum display case.) I think these are some of the ways we may make historical material resonate more for us. You might also contemplate such seemingly “abstract” ideas like the concept of time and perception of space which has been discussed in class. In the 21st century we all have radically different concepts of time and space — so you might also take this into consideration. And, how might your object speak to you or perhaps make you consider your own work differently? (This would be an excellent opportunity to add something from class to your Learning Portfolio, which is something that I ask you to do anyway.)
Use your imagination and have some fun with this while also trying to be accurate and “scholarly” with your research. Think a bit about the film “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” which didn’t directly relate to much of our subject matter, yet, it beautifully addresses the very act of IMAGE & THING MAKING, of STORY TELLING & COMMUNICATION, and THE HUMAN IMPULSE TO INVENT, to SOLVE, to be CREATIVE OR INNOVATIVE. (The film also addresses, at the very end, the dichotomy between the preserved pristine environment of the ancient cave art and the artificial environments of a modern nuclear plant as well as the adjacent biosphere, forcing one to think about great advances in modern science but also the irreparable damage such advances may ultimately cause.) Such an approach might open up different avenues for you to think about historical objects, and ultimately make for much richer and more interesting papers. There are also some common themes that seem to come up frequently such as the concept of MAGICAL THINKING and which is very present in all the cultures we’ve examined. (And the objects which have a relationship to this concept such as things intended for the afterlife, or things that have religious significance and that may evoke a particular response/experience in the viewer.)
Please don’t forget: it should be a minimum of 8 pages (NOT including title page, illustrations, footnotes, and bibliography), 12pt type, double-space (remember your footnote function on your laptops, as well as inserting page numbers. You want the paper to look and read like a university-level assignment, not high school, so all these little things are actually very important.) Please simply provide the basic, museum label information on the title page: name/title, type of object, date, material, dimensions, country, etc, etc. just like you did for the Formal Analysis – revisit that assignment’s posted title page for reference if you need to. This info. is necessary but does not have to appear in the body of your papers. Correct footnote and bibliography formats are important. I have attached a guide in Canvas but guides can easily be found online too (I know this may be tedious for some of you but it’s what we all do in university!) Also, feel free to use any text I’ve posted in Canvas as a research source. If you also choose to paraphrase something I’ve said in class or wrote in any of the PowerPoint presentations, you must also provide a citation, otherwise it is considered plagiarism.
I would like you all to consider which object you will write about for this final research paper in the next week or so since the semester ends sooner than later! Open up the Metropolitan Museum’s website and explore the collections. Try to find something that you not only really like but that will be relatively easy to do research on. (Please remember, Wikipedia is not considered a scholarly research resource!) Feel free to ask me what I think about a particular object, if you wish. I can also help you think about different ways to research and organize your paper. Sometimes students send me a rough draft and I’ll make suggestions. (Please be careful about which object you choose; I’ve had students pick something from the late 19th or 20th centuries and we do not cover those time periods in this class!) And if I ever suggested using the University’s Writing/Learning Center, make an appointment in advance and they can also help with editing, organization, English grammar. They are extremely useful, friendly, and a great resource for anyone who wishes to improve their writing skills!
AND remember:
All papers must be typed in Times New Roman font (12 points), be double-spaced, with a 1 inch margin on all sides, on white paper (size: 11” x 8.5”). Do NOT forget to put your name on your title page, and to number (paginate) your pages. And please pay attention to the importance of footnote citations (Chicago Style). If you are unsure when to use footnotes, keep in mind that its always better to have too many footnotes rather than too few. Any kind of plagiarism is considered to be a serious matter. Everyone should have a proper bibliography (Chicago Style) at the end of the paper too.