winner's choice: The Dirtiest Word in Museums

As one of the winners of an honorble mention in the March photo i.d. contest, Maya Hoptman has chosen the topic for a blog entry: The Dirtiest Word in Museum Practice. if you have not worked in a museum, you may be surprised to learn that this word is LABELS.

Maya worked in publications at the DIA for many years, and she should know. "Labels create chaos and anger. Arguments about labels are the only things that make grown curators and educators cry," she said in a recent interview.

Perhaps the best way to illustrate this is to show examples of two labels submitted to the Publications Department for editing. Let us suppose that these are for a new acquisition that will soon go on display in the beautifully renovated galleries.




A Mellon intern, a graduate student at the University of Michigan, working in the Europeam curatorial department was asked to write a label for it:

CHOUS
Italy, late Medicean
Tin-glazed majolica
Gift of Maya Hoptman, Judith Ruskin, Susan Higman-Larsen, Tracey Glab, and by exchange, Susan Rossen and several anonymous donors (2008.1)

This handsome and rare Chous reflects the many strands of Mediterranean culture that come together in the late Medicean period. The shape (not to be confused with the similar Oinochoe, shape 2) derives from Greek red-figure ware; it is believed to be a vessel specially developed for serving a type of honeyed wine made from fermented berries of Asphodelus lutea enjoyed at the midsummer festival of the Roman goddess Luna. The rope around the globate spout refers to the one used to bind Odysseus to the mast of the ship as he sailed through the straits of Messina, between the terrifying Scylla and Charibdis (Odyssey bk 9, 7-11). The dragon motif is often found in Etruscan art and speaks of the possible Anatolian origin of these enigmatic ancient peoples, who, like the Medici, occupied Toscana. The red fleur-de-lis is the symbol of the Medicean dynasty of Firenze. An inscription in brown slip on the base reads "Italy 169." The significance of the number is not known. The exact site of manufacture of the Chous is uncertain. Nothing is known of its provenance beyond the compelling fact that it was found in a garage sale in Ogunquit, Maine, in 1999.

Similar fine examples of Chous may be found in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Wien; Ny Karlsberg Glyptotek, Kopenhavn; a similar object was recently acquired by the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.



Meanwhile, an intern in the education department has also submitted a label:

PITCHER
Italian, 20th century
Ceramic
Gift of several donors (2008.1)

Do you have any pitchers in your house? What do you use them for? A long time ago someone used this pitcher for a cool drink in summer. Do you like lemonade? Do you like dragons? Have you ever seen a real dragon? How did you feel about it? How many dragons can you count on this pitcher?


As label editor in the Publications Department, what do you do? Laugh? Cry? There is no budget to hire an outside writer.