From thirty porcelain shards: the history of attribution of a vase from the collection of the Omsk Regional Museum of Fine Arts named after M. A. Vrubel

Abstract

The article presents a historical analysis of the attribution of a vase from the collection of artistic ceramics and glass at the Omsk Regional Museum of Fine Arts named after M.A. Vrubel. The study is of significant relevance in the context of the need for attribution, systematisation and cataloguing of museum funds, particularly in the context of the history of museum development. The research yielded significant insights into the formation, history and study of the artistic porcelain collection at the Omsk Regional Museum of Fine Arts. The analysis was based on museum objects, archival documents and museum publications. Additionally, previously unpublished data from accounting documentation and museum card catalogues were introduced into the scientific discourse. The research was conducted using a diachronic analysis method and elements of iconographic and formal-stylistic methods. The reconstruction of the history of attribution of the selected museum object permitted the introduction of an original thematic and chronological periodisation into the history of the porcelain collection and opened up a new perspective for the analysis of the historical sources of information about the development of the museum. The research has provided evidence to support the assertion that a museum object can be considered a twofold informational source. Scientific attribution reveals forgotten or lost intentions of the past, which can then be used as a basis for further representation. The reconstruction of the history of museum attribution for some exhibits contributes to a deeper understanding of the formation and development of the museum collection as a whole.