Fragmentary and Unfinished Art: Documenting Undocumented Late Roman Art and Process

FAIN: FT-278418-21

Hallie G. Meredith
Washington State University (Pullman, WA 99164-0001)

Research and writing leading to a monograph on late Roman carving techniques through the study of incomplete stone sculptures.

This project investigates the unfinished work of anonymous Roman artists in order to document their artistic processes. The research focuses on the third to seventh centuries AD, a period not only representing a zenith in late Roman carving but for which numerous excavated production sites are extant. This research is vital for two core reasons. First, no written sources exist documenting production by anonymous artists. Second, the Roman practice of concealing evidence of carving has led to fundamental gaps in our knowledge concerning production. This award will support research at archaeological sites and on related objects. The approach will enable unfinished pieces to take center stage by accessing fundamentally important – but obscured – visual information. This project will make a significant interdisciplinary contribution to discourse in archaeology, ancient history, art history, classics, craft history and theory, and economic studies, among other fields of study.

Associated Products

The Late Roman Unfinished Chaîne opératoire: A New Approach to Inscribed Glass Openwork (Article)
Title: The Late Roman Unfinished Chaîne opératoire: A New Approach to Inscribed Glass Openwork
Author: Meredith, Hallie G.
Abstract: Fragments of incomplete material objects, too often relegated to storage, have the potential to help uncover production processes that had been believed lost or thought permanently obscured. Traditionally, study of the chaîne opératoire (operational sequence) has been limited to completed pieces, excluding in-process and discarded items. This omission creates a misleading narrative. Rather than a linear process, the manufacture of sculpted objects is a multistep, protracted endeavor. Through an examination of unfinished carving among Late Roman glass openwork vessels (also known as diatreta or “cage cups”), highlighting in particular inscribed glass openwork vessels that were in process, this discussion offers a new approach building on previous scholarship. Unfinished carving is a rich and varied category of material culture that can, and should, be regarded as a valuable and even crucial complement to completed pieces. This freshly conceived archaeology of Roman experiments, mistakes, and fragments helps shed new light on—and even resolve—long-standing debates concerning these renowned works. This article demonstrates that expanding the chaîne opératoire to include the unfinished can enrich our understanding of craft production in the Late Roman world.
Year: 2023
Primary URL Description: https://www.ajaonline.org/article/4587
Access Model: Journal subscription
Format: Journal
Periodical Title: American Journal of Archaeology
Publisher: American Journal of Archaeology

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