Monthly in-depth explorations of objects with astral imagery and discussions on how we can interpret their meaning by investigating which narratives, concepts, and values are conveyed through their designs and depictions. We want to study their materialities, investigate their craftsmen, artists, and creators, discuss their processes of creation, production, usage, and travel, and shed light on the context of their discovery.
Each session will begin with an object or group of objects with astral imagery presented by an expert. We will invite scholars from different disciplines including historians of science, art historians, numismatists, librarians, curators, and so on. Their presentation will be followed by a discussion that is aimed at deepening our understanding of the objects’ significance for the study of astral knowledge. Together with us, these experts will explore the historical, societal, geographical, and cultural context of the objects they present. Our discussions will initiate from a deep engagement with the objects themselves, and strive to foster a conversation that delves deeply into the features, materiality, culturally specific and intercultural contexts, and potential meanings of each object/image. These sessions will offer a unique opportunity to embark on a captivating journey through time, place, craftsmanship, and culture of objects that convey unique as well as shared astral knowledge and to explore the challenges and strategies involved in conserving and preserving objects for future generations.
Collage designed by Rana Brentjes
Top left: Silver drachma minted by the city of Istros on the Black Sea, c. 400–350 BCE, Münzkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin / Dirk Sonnenwald, Public Domain Mark 1.0, Inv. No. 18215381.
Top right: Celestial Globe, Gerhard Mercator, Löwen, 1551, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Inv. No. Kart_A_3553_b.
Bottom left: Standing Tara, relief, ninth century, probably Kurkihar, Bihar, East India, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum für Asiatische Kunst / CC BY-SA 4.0
Bottom right: Manuscript page from an Old Uyghur translation of Fo shuo Beidou qixing yanming jing 佛說北斗七星延命經 "Big Dipper Seven Stars Life-Extending-Sūtra" (Taishō, vol. 21, no. 1307), known as the Big Dipper Sūtra, Turfan, China, brought to Berlin by the German Turfan expeditions (1902–1914), Depositum der Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften in der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Orientabteilung.
Participation
The Objects Revealed Event Series is open to all.
Academics, students, and members of the public are all welcome to attend, listen, and participate in the discussion. Registration details are listed on the individual event pages.
The series is starting in March 2024 and will take place on a monthly schedule. The exact times and locations of the events may vary and can be viewed on the individual event pages below.