On 6 December, the Biblioteca Nacional is hosting the workshop « Philippine Objects in the Context of European Colonial Gears (Late 19th - Early 20th Centuries». Stephanie Coo – who is organizing the event together with Paulo Pinto – talks in this interview about how objects contribute to understanding the past and she explains how they help rewrite historiography. Three researchers taking part in the workshop join the conversation: Franz Wendler, Patricia Dacudao e Hernando Salapare III.
Even without a voice, do objects tell stories and can they contribute to the writing and rewriting of historiography?
Stephanie Coo: Yes, objects can communicate; some loudly, others subtly. There are different approaches to studying how objects can tell stories from the perspectives of social and natural sciences.
Franz Wendler: Objects and their owners leave behind their molecular imprint and signature, echoing their voices to future interpretations by historians.
Stephanie Coo: The materiality and tangibility of objects spark the imagination, unlocking the world of the people who brought them to life and those who used, acquired, circulated, or collected them. Even in their seeming ordinariness, some capture the grandiose, others the «essentials» of everyday life, serving as primary sources that are otherwise not preserved in conventional records. In complementing textual and iconographic evidences, objects can expand the assortment of accessible research data, conveying narratives about the time and place they were produced as well as providing glimpses into the issues and challenges that such objects or technologies were invented or created to address.
In general, what new stories do objects from Philippines tell? Can you give us a concrete example?
Stephanie Coo: The style, craftmanship, and patterns of objects reveal the thought process, technical skills, trade and distribution networks of the groups of people working under certain junctures in time. As the concept, construction, and quality of artifacts – as well as people’s taste, standards, and views on aesthetics – change over time, they capture details about certain moments in history, shedding light into the ebbs and flows of empires, colonies, and communities.
Patricia Dacudao: An object-centered approach to history is an inclusive concept. The concept allows the broad inclusion of multiple strands of wide-ranging political, economic and cultural forces in history without neglecting the central role of the senses and the individuals whose lives the subject object touched and transformed.
Stephanie Coo: Studying objects through, for example, the lens of sensory or emotional experiences allow foreign researchers like myself to work around cultural and linguistic barriers to develop narratives by examining artifacts, which often have comparable uses across cultures. For example, reading about carriages and coaches in late nineteenth century primary texts about Spanish colonial Philippines and viewing miniatures in Spanish and German archives prompted me to ponder on the journey of objects as well as to examine related objects stored in archives of other cultures, particularly, the National Coach Museum, Oriental Museum, and National Museum of Ethnology. This exercise to gain insights on the functional use of certain details of the coach (1) allowed me to discover the similarities and differences among comparable items and products from varied cultural traditions; and (2) revealed some missing links on the connected histories of Spain, Portugal, and the Philippines that would allow me to ‘complete’ the narrative.
Historians rewrite History every day through their research and discoveries. How can historians also contribute to the «decolonisation of knowledge» in museums, particularly with regard to the Philippines?
Stephanie Coo: Handling actual objects can enhance the way researchers and practicioners of related disciplines understand and write about the past, thus potentially confirming or questioning existing interpretations based on – and information obtained from – traditional historical sources.
Hernando Salapare III: Studying historical objects using materials science is important because it can provide insights into everyday activities of past societies and it can also track the evolution of technology over time. Second, material characterization techniques can evaluate the state of preservation of artifacts and assess previous conservation methods, leading to better practices.
What is the importance of organising this academic event, which follows a series of conferences and publications related to the Philippines, in collaboration with the Philippine Embassy?
Stephanie Coo: Objects may be studied from, among others, historical, psychological, or business points of view, provoking discussions about commercial practices, consumption patterns, cultural exchanges, and so on. The idea behind this workshop is to exchange knowledge and methodologies, access diverse perspectives, solicit fresh ideas, and uncover new ways of studying material culture, bringing together scholars, researchers, and scientists from various disciplines, including material science, molecular biology, anthropology, art, cultural, and economic history, trauma, literary, and museum studies. The support from the Philippine government is crucial to producing high-quality publications rooted on original, deep, and solid research.
Text: Isabel Araújo Branco.
