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Research in: Classics

Ancient Material Culture

IMAGES, ARTIFACTS & MAPS

Finding Comparanda (Similar Objects)

COMPARANDA

Comparanda (from the Latin meaning) refers to things which are compared. When researching ancient art, artifacts and other elements of material culture, comparanda can provide helpful insights about the items we're studying -- especially in cases where the specifics of an author, date, etc. might not be known. Looking at multiple, similar objects can also help us draw intelligent conclusions about how the type of object in question was made, distributed, and used. 

IMAGE & COLLECTIONS SEARCHES
Image-based searches can help you find similar items. When you do, though, you'll need to research the image and its origin further to find the object you're comparing to. Be sure to check the rights / citation recommendations! 

General Image Searches

You can also try conducting a reverse image search, using a tool like Google or Bing Images, to look for similar images online. Note: If you use a tool that requires you to upload the image in question, make sure that it's not restricted. Artstor images cannot be uploaded into Google Lens. 

How to Reverse Image Search

Searching Museum Collections

For the most part, these websites are not listed in any one place, so to find museums beyond those you are already familiar with (ex - the WAM, MFA, etc.) you may need to cast a wide Google Search. 

  • Try starting with a simple search such as museum Etruscan
     
  • Carefully evaluate each search result. Make sure that what you are accessing is actually a museum -- some of your results will likely be, for example, travel website reviews of a particular museum, which will not be helpful to you. 
     
  • Many U.S. museum websites will end in .org or .edu. However, not all such websites will be museums, and not all museum websites will end in this way! For example, Italian websites will likely end in .it. 

Some suggested museums are listed below: 

For more options, you might want to take a look at the image research guide put together by our Music & Arts Librarian: 

 

CATALOGUES
Catalogues, often published to accompany museum exhibits or auctions, will help you find similar artifacts, alongside general information about them. Note that exhibition/sales catalogues are NOT the same as catalogues raisonnes (a term you may encounter often when searching). Catalogues Raisonnes document the lifetime work of a particular artist -- not applicable to ancient artifacts! 

You can find catalogs by searching CrossSearch OR the Library Catalog (the library catalog may be easier) for keywords like 

Etruscans AND catalog
Etruscans AND catalogue
Etruria AND catalog 
Etruria AND catalogue

To find as much as possible in one search, you can also use the asterisk (*) as a placeholder for multiple spelling possibilities. For example, 

Etruscan* AND catalog* 

will find books with the key words Etruscan, Etruscans, catalog, catalogs, catalogue, and catalogues. You can also try 

Etruria* AND catalog* 

or even

(Etruria* OR Etruscan*) AND catalog* 

to search all the possibilities at once. 

In addition to Dinand and WAM's collections, you can also check the following resources:

Researching Provenance (How Objects Got Here)

PROVENANCE

Provenance, in the study of material culture, refers to the history of a specific object -- not where it fits in history, but how and where it has moved through history over time. The provenance of an object includes everything from where it was first found (in the case of ancient objects which may have been excavated), to each of the individuals or organizations who have owned that object (and where, physically, it lived during those times), up to how it came into the possession of the person, museum or other institution that currently possesses it. 

Provenance matters for multiple reasons -- it can authenticate whether an object is truly 'ancient'; provide context for its creation and use in the ancient world; and teach us about the history of the reception of ancient material culture. Provenance also helps us understand whether an object reached its current ownership/location ethically and legally -- and helps identify how to make things right, if not.