Partial Remains Require Inference

There are many objects that are fragmented when a curator or another individual first finds them. If the fragments do not make up the whole object, it is common for people to repair these objects from the Middle Ages by making inferences, as this allows them to convey the context behind the object. Often, museums will repair objects by inferring what the missing fragments may be, or the audience may need to imagine what the missing fragments may be in order to convey the full object.

But also note that this reveals problems for digital museums like this. In particular, one can only see a single perspective of an image, not a full 360 degree view.

Guiding Questions:

Looking at the following images, do you see yourself trying to figure out what the other parts of the fragments are to understand where it came from? Or do you agree with the repair that was made by the museum? This requires creating an image of the object and inferring what the repair may be. This is important to do especially when trying to figure out the history and context behind some of these Middle Ages objects.

Featured Objects: