Discussion: The Concept of Authenticity in Collections of Open-Air Museums

Abstract

How is it possible that if you go into an arts museum, the ceramics you see may be made yesterday and may be a valued and legitimate part of the museum collection, while in open-air museums, a similar object may be produced by a master craftsperson yesterday, yet is not called authentic? Are we blinded by historical-archaeological authenticity? Is the key to documented objects, their stories and their provenance – which gives them their authenticity - not right? Well-structured documentation of stories with objects and people is, per se, an important step towards being regarded as open-air museums. This is an important part of our current EXARC EU Project, www.retold.eu.

Keywords

• documentation
• newer era
• open-air museum
• methodology
• newest era