080060 UE Arts/Crafts - Aspects of Form, Style and Iconography, Function and Material (2015S)

The holdings of the „Schatzkammer“ and the „Kunstkammer“ at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, are among the most important collections of medieval and early modern „applied arts“ in the world. They represent objects in metall (gold, silver, bronze), precious stone (like rock crystal, agate, jasper), ivory, amber, wood, wax etc. Origin, form and history of most of these objects are closely linked with their function in the context of princely representation and/or collecting. A close look on these objects thus not only provides understanding on how design and decoration in the field of „applied arts“ developed over the centuries. It also informs about ways of using materials and techniques to transport messages, reaching far beyond its seeming function in „daily life“, such as a chess board, a drinking vessel, or a piece of furniture.
The holdings shed light on the many connections in between the different groups of material as well as on the conncections in between the two fields that are usually separated from each other: „decorative arts“ and „fine arts“ (bronze sculpture in a large and a small format, use of coloured stones for paintings, origin and use of ornament prints etc). Knowledge on „applied arts“ and on its terminology is also important for studies in „fine arts“. Many paintings, sculptures or prints show objects of a special meaning – insignia, jewellery, exotic showpieces, for example - that have to be understood, described and explained in the context.