Retabulum: An interdisciplinary comparative Research on Winged Altarpieces from Upper Lusatia, Silesia, and Franconia - examining joining techniques, materiality, and (inter)mediality of wooden altar shrines with the assistance of dendrochronology

• Applicant: Dr. Thomas Eißing
• Subject Area: Art History ; Architecture, Building and Construction History, Construction Research, Sustainable Building Technology
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 574598358

Retabulum: An interdisciplinary comparative Research on Winged Altarpieces from Upper Lusatia, Silesia, and Franconia - examining joining techniques, materiality, and (inter)mediality of wooden altar shrines with the assistance of dendrochronology In contrast to painting and carving, the manufacturing process and timber joints of the sometimes very complex wooden winged altarpieces with their statically complex hinged wings has only been researched in isolated cases and with little systematic comparison. One of the main aims of the project is to record carpentry and blacksmithing techniques using the example of around 40 important altar shrines from the period around 1500 from Franconia, Upper Lusatia and the former Silesia. The selection of objects is based on art-historical and art-technological hypotheses for the formation of work groups as well as examples independent of work groups. The systematic analysis and comparison of shrine construction methods, tool marks, types of wood and fittings is intended to answer the question of whether independent, differentiable craft practices can be identified in the regions and whether a technological-craft transfer and thus a harmonization of craft practices between the regions can be observed. In addition, the question is raised as to whether the differences in shrine box production that can be determined from the microstructure enable an independent group formation that can confirm, supplement or correct the art-historical work group formation. The dendrochronological dating of the boards in addition to the absolute dating of the felling years, contribute to the clarification of the questions about the formation of work groups by determining the affiliation of boards to a tree or by providing evidence of the origin of the wood. The location of museumized altarpieces will be reconstructed by scanning the surrounding area in order to clarify the question of the dimensional relationships to the surrounding architecture. The effect and medial function of the altar shrines in their original or reconstructed location will be analyzed from an art and visual studies perspective. The working group consists of the Polish art historians Dr. Agnieszka Patała and Dr. Masza Sitek, the carpenter and wood conservator Gerald Grajcarek and the dendrochronologist and wood structure researcher Dr. Thomas Eißing. Methodologically, the working methods of wood structure science (CAD/hand measurements, Structur from Motion, 3D visualizations), archaeometallurgy (isotope analyses), art history (archive research/comparative analyses) and non-destructive or low-destructive dendrochronology are combined. The data collected during the project will be stored in the publicly accessible ArsLigni database at the HfbK Dresden.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Poland
• Partner Organisation: Narodowe Centrum Nauki (NCN)
• Cooperation Partner: Dr. Agnieszka Patala