Research Tips and Ideas: Portuguese Explorations of Africa in the 15th century

Which topic to choose? My objects: Masks? Africa? Exotic/primitive? State of knowledge How knowledge changes over time Societal forces that influenced collection of similar objects

The Research Process Gain a pretty good knowledge of your time period- political borders, powerful nations, etc. Establish strong connections between your theme, knowledge-making, and real collections before starting to write the paper Prince Henry of Portugal, “The Navigator,” 1394-1460 The caravela redonda An African according to Pliny in Natural History, one of the Blemmyae people

Course reserves are awesome! Things to keep in mind: Course reserves are awesome! Be creative in connecting a more modern object to the Renaissance Never hesitate to ask a question or collaborate Research might seem tedious at times, but it pays off Use illustrations http://art.thewalters.org/detail/13267/ivory-pyx-with-scenes-from-the-passion-of-christ/ My cell number: 215-237-1390

Going from research paper to catalog entry Consider collecting traditions Be sensitive to controversial ideas Research provenance and history early on

Helpful resources Konstam, Angus. Historical Atlas of Exploration 1492- 1600. London: Mercury Books London, 2006. -for general timeline and info about exploration and political power Impey, Oliver, and Arthur MacGregor. The Origins of Museums. New York: Oxford University Press, 1985. -for finding specific collections housing your type of object Brotton, Jeremy. The Renaissance Bazaar. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. -for researching merchant routes in connection with the Renaissance Try the Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History- http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ and other museums’ websites for research clues The Wikipage for the class has a list of on-line resources (“Helpful Research and Reference Pages”)