At the moment a work of art is made, it is known just to its maker. Only after it is shown to oth... more At the moment a work of art is made, it is known just to its maker. Only after it is shown to others does it accrue social and aesthetic value. Quieter, less studied, but not less important are the ways in which the art object becomes entwined in the lives of those who see, use, or possess it, and thereby alters how they see themselves and are seen by others. Various social practices enable such transformations, but for medieval objects valued today as art, ecclesiastical rites are among the most important and, not irrelevantly, the best documented.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, a... more JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.
At the moment a work of art is made, it is known just to its maker. Only after it is shown to oth... more At the moment a work of art is made, it is known just to its maker. Only after it is shown to others does it accrue social and aesthetic value. Quieter, less studied, but not less important are the ways in which the art object becomes entwined in the lives of those who see, use, or possess it, and thereby alters how they see themselves and are seen by others. Various social practices enable such transformations, but for medieval objects valued today as art, ecclesiastical rites are among the most important and, not irrelevantly, the best documented.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, a... more JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.
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Papers by robert nelson