2020 Essays
What is Stone in Ms. Fr. 640?
This essay addresses the ontology of stone in BnF Ms. Fr. 640. What is stone to the author-practitioner, both in the manuscript as a repository of knowledge and the workshop as a site of production? What constitutes a stone and what distinguishes it from other natural resources and usable objects? How does the author-practitioner demonstrate and produce knowledge about stone as a material by exploiting its material properties, and to what end? Analysis suggests five categories to classify the author-practitioner’s understanding and use of stone: tools and supports, materials, matrices, gemstones, and reference materials. Stone is revealed to be a varied and versatile material for transformation and use.
Files
-
ann_075_fa_18_Jiang_WhatIsStone.pdf
application/pdf
215 KB
Download File
More About This Work
- Academic Units
- Center for Science and Society
- The Making and Knowing Project
- Series
- Secrets of Craft and Nature
- Published Here
- July 23, 2026
