Constitution Center

Title: Carpet Bag

Year: 1830-1900

Material: Fibers and cotton thread

Creator: Unknown

Collection: New York Historical Society

 This is a carpetbag that was used commonly used as luggage and made from used carpet. These bags are famous because of the term “Carpetbagger,” that was used during the Civil War to describe Northerners who moved to the South during the Reconstruction era (1865-77). Carpetbaggers were considered to be outsiders that came to take advantage of the conditions in the South.

This object is important to historians and families. Historians can use this object to reflect on the social history of reconstruction through the use of the term associated with the bags. Historians can also use this object to get a sense of the carpet patterns used during the time. This could be helpful for historic houses or period rooms. Carpetbags are also important to families because they were a common item that was handed down.

This object is on display as a loan from the New York Historical Society. The carpetbag is part of a larger display about equality and the Constitution. It discusses the 15^th amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery. In the background there is a large panel that has an etching that describes the events surrounding the amendment. Below that there is some text that describes the amendment and the Civil War. To the left of the carpetbag is a drawing of a Freedman’s Village. To the right is a KKK robe and hood. The display seems to be showing the different aspects of the reconstruction era following the 15^th amendment. The Freedman’s Village represents the struggles after freedom. The carpetbag represents the struggle between Northerners and Southerners directly after the war. The KKK robe and hood signify the retaliation after the amendment was passed. 

The text is written from a non-partisan point of view. It doesn’t take to either side of the issue and presents all of the facts. Even the objects represent this point of view. The other objects tie into the main idea and show multiple issues with in the central issue of the 15^th amendment. I think that people from the northern states and the southern states may have different viewpoints about this time period and the abolishment of slavery. I also think that people of different races will have different views about the object and its context. This particular object may not be important or interesting to people that would rather avoid the subject matter. The term “Carpetbagger” still has negative connotations and can be offensive, or taken out of context.

Fields of study in reference to this object might include: Civil War/ Reconstruction era history, decorative arts, building materials, historic houses, furnishings, social history, political cartoons, and Civil War era politics.

I think that an interesting activity to do with this object would be to use all of the political cartoons about Carpetbaggers. I would use the images in a compare/contrast activity to show what the different viewpoints on the issue were at the time. Another way to do this would be to give people a cartoon and ask them to tell the group what they think it means/represents. 

 

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Title: Arm Reliquary of Saint Babylas

Year: 1467

Material: Silver, gilded silver, enamel, glass paste stones, rock crystals, and one amethyst on an oak core.

Creator: Unknown German artist

Collection: Philadelphia Museum of Art, European Decorative Arts & Sculpture Collection

This object is an ornate arm reliquary (c.1467) that contained a bone of Saint Babylas who was Bishop of Antioch. St. Babylas died in 250 A.D. as a Christian martyr during the persecution of Christians by Roman Emperor Decius. The arm is making a blessing gesture, which was a popular display form of reliquaries. St. Babylas was the first Saint to have his relics transported to a higher church.This reliquary was acquired with museum funds in 1950 from the Guelph Treasure at Brunswick Cathedral in Germany.

St. Babylas at the Cathedral of St. Mary,
Pamplona, Spain

This arm reliquary is important to many people. Reliquaries are very important to devout Catholics. A relic is considered to be an object that helps an individual became closer to God and the Holy Spirit, therefore making it an important religious object. A relic is also an element that is needed for a church to become a cathedral. This object is also important to the art and history communities. This particular reliquary shows ornamentation of the time period, such as the rings, that give us a glimpse into popular styles of the late 15^th century. This object also gives historians a look at how much importance was placed in relics during the 1460s. This object might also be important to silver smiths as a piece of study.

Although this object is important to many people it may not interest people that aren’t religious or Catholic. It may also not interest people who don’t like that time period of art or history. People that enjoy modern art, for example may not have interest in this object.

This object is on display in a period room made to look like a church or chapel area. Within the room there are important religious books such as the Book of Hours. The arm reliquary is on display as part of a group of objects that include other religious items. The other items in the group range from box reliquaries, a pilgrim badge, a processional cross, and religious statues. The other objects help the viewer see a wide variety of religious artifacts that tie together. Relics were generally collected (or stolen) while people were on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Therefore the pilgrimage badge begins the story. The processional cross would have been used on pilgrimage, in battles, or in church processionals. Religious statues were also popular collector items of the time from pilgrimage. The arm and box reliquary are the end result of the story the other objects tell. The room itself also adds to the display since you feel like you are in a church, which is where most reliquaries are housed and viewed.

In the case the objects are numbered and the label is located to the left on the wall beside the case. The label is written from a passive point of view. It simply states what the object is and what saint is associated with it. There was no other context that would suggest the importance of a relic as an important religious object.

 An art historian and a Medieval history may have different ideas about why a reliquary is important. A non-religious or non- catholic person may also have a different point of view. They may not feel that the object is important at all. From the point of view the story about the saint may be down played or even challenged. Both the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church recognize St. Babylas. Each church may have a different story about him and his relics as well.

Fields of study for this object might include; Crusades, Medieval history, religious history, art history, silver smiths, hagiography, Catholic Church, Vatican, archeology, anthropology, and forensics.

Photo of a hand reliquary I took at the
British Museum.

There are so many ways to engage viewers with this object. One interesting experience is to have the visitor (high school and older) become a relic themselves. Take any object, like a cloth that has touched the relic and once the visitor touches the cloth they become a third degree relic. By doing thing you would expose your audience to the complex nature of relics, their importance at the time, and it would create curiosity. This was also a popular activity through out the middle ages.

Another interesting experience would be to tell some stories about Furta Sacra or Holy theft. Although this object may have never been stolen it would be an interesting way to tie in all of the objects in the case that deal with pilgrimage and relics. I would also include photos of other reliquaries to show the many different variations.

Story of Adam of Eynsham

An activity that would work well at the PMA would be to have kids count how many paintings have the same hand gesture as the reliquary to show them how popular it was in art. 

Title: Dessert Plate
Year: 1838-42
Material: Hard Paste Porcelain
Creator: Rihouet Factory, Paris
Collection: Seen at Eastern State Penitentiary: Image from Philadelphia Museum of Art

This object is a porcelain dessert plate that depicts a landscape scene of Eastern State Penitentiary surrounded by an elegant floral border.

This object is important to people that enjoy collecting china or souvenir plates. More importantly this object is important to those interested in memorabilia.

This dessert plate is displayed as an image on a panel about Eastern State Penitentiary as an early tourist destination and influential prison. The panel is located to the left of a map of the world showing the international influence of ESP. The goal of this panel was to show visitors (from the perspective of ESP) how popular ESP was as a tourist site while it was still a functioning prison. People came from all over the world to see the prison’s state of the art plumbing. The panel mentions that even diplomats visited to see such marvels. In the near by surroundings of the plate there is a stereoscope with an image of ESP as well as an early admission ticket to enter the prison. These surrounding objects help reinforce the concept that ESP has always been a place that people visited that cause items of popular culture to be produced.
















No one would think that a dessert plate would feature a prison. The importance of this object is that it is unique and shows how ESP was viewed by popular culture in the pre-Civil War era. It is hard to say to whom this object is important because of its rarity. If it were to be important to a particular person it might be someone who is a collector or art dealer. Rihouet porcelain factory was employed by the French royal family. Rihouet was well known for producing a series of tea sets and dessert sets that depicted famous places of the early 1800s.

As it turns out the son of founding father and proponent of solitary confinement Dr. Benjamin Rush owned a wide variety of these tea and dessert sets depicting famous places like the ESP plate. They are on display at the Smithsonian. 

Rihouet Porcelain owned by Richard Rush on display at the Smithsonian.

The label reads as follows:

"Richard Rush (1780-1859), son of Benjamin Rush, the famous Philadelphia physician, was a lawyer and statesman. He served as Secretary of State under James Monroe, United States Minister to Great Britain from 1817 to 1825, and United States Minister to France from 1847-1849. This set of porcelain, made by the firm “Rihouet” of Paris, was collected by Rush while he was minister to France. Rihouet was established in 1818 and was awarded the title of faience maker to the King in 1824. The company specialized mainly in table services and tea or coffee sets. The pieces in this set are decorated with scenes and monuments from all over the world as well as fruits, flowers, and putti, all popular motifs from the first half of the nineteenth century."

 *Note: This information came from from a flickr account. The plates are in the collection at the Smithsonian but I cannot locate a reference to this exact text.

I found an interesting article about ESP and some of the contemporary issues with prisons that mentioned the dessert plate. 

Overall, I think this object would be better experienced if it wasn’t just an image. I also think that adding some more contributing artifacts would be helpful and create more interest. Perhaps something you would touch or manipulate.

Title: Elizabeth I Milled Six Pence Coin
Year: 1562
Material: Silver
Creator: Tower of London
This is a Late Tudor coin that was milled in the Tower of London during the reign of Elizabeth I. Children would hope to get six pence in their shoe during Christmas time. The six pence coin was used until the 1970s.

This was the first coin that I ever bought. I found it in a small antique store in England while I was studying abroad. Personally, this coin is important to me because of my deep interest in British history. British history is very dramatic and is intertwined in the founding of many nations. I have found that most artifacts from Britain always have a hidden story.

Elizabeth I is one of the most famous British monarchs and her coin shows us some symbols that are recognizable to us today.

On the front of the coin there is the Tudor rose, a wildly popular symbol in history. One the back there is a crest with lions (the symbol of English monarchs) and Fleur de lis (the symbol for France). This tells us that Elizabeth considered herself the ruler of England and France.

Here is my favorite video to learn the Kings and Queens.

English Kings and Queens Song :

I have not had my coin on display because of its value. I keep it in a safe so that I never have to worry about losing it! I suppose you could say it is on “display” in my safe. Most of the other items in my safe are important family heirlooms or valuable artifacts I have purchased on various trips.

Purchasing this coin has led me to learn about the amazing online community of coin collectors. There are thousands of sites and forums about antique coins. The Royal Mint is a really interesting site to use for research.

Besides engaging collectors, this coin might also attract Shakespeare fans and social historians. In A Midsummer Night's Dream (Act 4, Scene 2), we learn that by his absence, Bottom the Weaver will forgo sixpence a day for life from the Duke. In Elizabethan times, six pence was roughly the wage for a day’s labor. With it,  you would be able to buy two dinners, six performances of Hamlet at the Globe Theatre, or an unbound copy of the play itself. A little bit goes a long way with six pence.