Abstract
Discourse of Material: Proceedings of International Conference is a collection of studies that presents conclusions of the conference Historical Interior and Speech of Material Language held as part of the research project Discourse of Material: Traditional Craft Techniques that May Salvage Cultural Heritage and Current Lifestyle, financed by the NAKI II programme of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic (researchers: Charles University, National Heritage Institute and National Technical Museum in Prague). Discourse of Material was a project that monitored for more than five years (2018-2022) selected endangered crafts and neglected craft specialisations with valuable cultural and historical potential. It mapped examples of significant objects in collections of castles made by selected historical technologies. It focused on written and iconographic sources as well as results of new technological research and implementation of the acquired knowledge in rehabilitation of historical interiors, particularly of former aristocratic residences. The crafts studied included stove-fitting, parquetry, varnishing, gilding, fine woodworking and locksmithing, weaving and upholstery, woodcarving, plastering and glass cutting. Additionally, attention was also paid to the typology of individual elements and their preservation in museum collections.
The anthology presents specialized studies from different professional stages and thematic units, including texts by Czech and foreign experts. The studies focus on several areas, including definition of certain concepts such as historical interior, original technology, material quality and authenticity. In the international discussion on the phenomenon of authenticity and its conception in different periods and in different ways, the focus on understanding historic crafts and reflection on their current possibilities and perspectives in the care of preserved historic interiors is one of the key topics of historic preservation. The studies also look at building elements as an integral part of historic interiors and reconstructions of historic interiors and their parts using knowledge of original technologies and materials. The studies describe authentic traditional technologies and materials, their qualitative research with the objective to identify the causes and factors that are the source of transmission, modification or extinction of traditional craft technologies. They do not omit the impact of detailed knowledge of traditional materials and technologies on rehabilitation of historic buildings. The texts in the anthology can thus contribute to the preservation, restoration, presentation and education in the sphere of traditional crafts linked with construction and interior design in bourgeois and aristocratic environments.