Graduate Study Day in conjunction with the exhibition Ornament: Fragments of Byzantine Fashion, Dumbarton Oaks, October 4, 2019

Ornament: Fragments of Byzantine Fashion explores dress practice in late antique Egypt and the enduring aesthetic appeal of these textiles in modern times. As part of the scholarly programming associated with this exhibition, we are organizing a graduate study day to discuss the themes and content of the exhibition and to examine recent, unpublished textile acquisitions in the Dumbarton Oaks collections.

The study day will be led by assistant curator of Byzantine Art Dr. Elizabeth Williams, who curated Ornament: Fragments of Byzantine Fashion. In the morning, students will visit and discuss the exhibition in the galleries. We will address curatorial selection, historiographic topics, and a few outstanding individual textiles. After lunch, participants will spend the afternoon scrutinizing pieces in storage. We will consider techniques, materials, iconography, and function through close investigation of recent acquisitions, mostly drawn from the Bennochy Collection of textiles donated to Dumbarton Oaks by Professor Richard Rose. Students will also be introduced to the institution’s digital resources, including its Online Catalogue of Byzantine and Early Islamic Textiles.

Funding
The students selected to participate will receive up to $400 towards travel expenses, one night’s accommodation on the Dumbarton Oaks campus, and Friday lunch. Costs will be reimbursed upon submission of original receipts and a completed travel reimbursement form. All receipts and signed forms must be submitted within 30 days of travel. Reimbursement will be issued as a check in US dollars and mailed to the candidate’s specified home address. We regret that we cannot make wire transfers.

Applications
Applications should include (a) a cover letter that provides a brief summary of the candidate’s research interests, plans for future research, and an explanation of why Study Day attendance is important to the candidate’s intellectual and professional development; (b) a résumé; and (c) a letter of support from the applicant’s thesis advisor or department chair. All materials should be submitted to Byzantine@doaks.org by August 1, 2019.

Eligibility
Currently enrolled graduate students in good standing are eligible to apply. Dumbarton Oaks does not sponsor J1 visas for Study Day attendees.

Selection Criteria
The Selection Committee will prioritize applications from students

• specializing in art history, history, archaeology, conservation, or curatorial studies who focus on late antique Egyptian material culture;
• interested in nineteenth- and twentieth-century collecting practices;
• interested in learning more about the technical qualities of textiles; and/or
• with a background in papyrological or other textual sources, with interest in textile production or trade

Preliminary Program

• 10am-12pm. Tour and Discussion of Ornament: Fragments of Byzantine Fashion
• 12pm-1pm. Lunch in Refectory
• 1pm-4pm. Study Session in Textile Storage