An Exploration of <object> using Antarctic Artifacts

The recent inclusion of <object> to the TEI has been a long-awaited addition to the language. The ticket proposing the creation of an <object> element (https://github.com/TEIC/TEI/issues/327) outlines some of the discussions that have led to this implementation. However, as with all TEI elements, there is room for expansion and refinements as new use cases are introduced. In this poster, we will explore the usage of <physDesc> element within <object> to gauge how this adaptation of the msdescription module meets the needs of encoding more general objects.

We will evaluate <physDesc> in this new context by creating examples of the usage of <object> by describing several items from the Robert E. Hancock Jr Antarctic Collection at FSU Special Collections (https://archives.lib.fsu.edu/repositories/4/resources/642). We have selected a diverse set of objects from this collection, including a model Navy Icebreaker and a commemorative plaque, to cover a wide variety of use cases. The objects will be described in as much detail as possible using the existing <physDesc> with its child elements. Our methods have two outcomes: to determine whether the current adaptation of <physDesc> for <object> is appropriate for these objects and to produce more examples of <object> to be included in the Guidelines.

In order to expand the utility of the <physDesc> element, we will implement an ODD customization to propose ways of identifying subsections of a given object (e.g. the base of a figurine as distinct from its top) using <objectDesc>. Our ODD customization will include a new element that will allow us to differentiate between descriptions of different sections of the object and provide two mechanisms for disambiguating pieces of the object: one more generic and a coordinate space version based on the att.coordinated attributes.