The Signet Ring: A Historical Nexus between Art and the Law by Athena Photinopoulos (3L)
The University of Alberta Faculty of Law is pleased to announce that Athena Photinopoulos (3L) has been awarded $5,000 pursuant to the Undergraduate Research Initiative (URI). Athena's stipend is to support work on the nexus between art and law in the context of the often ornate signet ring historically used to put documents under seal. This fascinating research topic will be highly interdisciplinary since part of the project involves Athena (who is also a jewelry smith) creating a replica of a historically significant signet ring.
"My first reaction to getting the award was "Professor Shannon O'Byrne is awesome!" said Athena. "She really helped to support my application by sharing her feedback and research expertise with me. I learned a lot from her and appreciate her support. My second reaction was simply that I felt very excited to receive university support to take on a comprehensive research question of my own, and one that involves the "co-mingling" of Art and Law. It is really wonderful to have such a unique opportunity to seek to understand how such different areas of thinking and craft support and interact with one another. I find such questions very engaging."
The objective of this interdisciplinary project is to investigate the historical legal function of the signet ring and the creative or aesthetic aspects of the ring that lend themselves to this function. The result will be two-fold. First, by exploring leading primary and secondary sources, Athena will account for the signet ring's legal function in creating binding commitments and what such ring looked like to perform this function. She will produce a law review journal and/or material culture article as a means of communicating her findings. Second, Athena will produce at least one reproduction of a historically significant signet ring in order to tangibly explore and communicate, as visible resource, those creative aspects that impact the ring's legal role. Production of the ring makes tangible the link between art and law; between aesthetic and utility; between form and function.
"I will be looking at the historic legal function of the signet rings in contract law and how the creative/aesthetics of the ring support this legal function," Athena explained. "I expect to complete a journal article and a replicate at least one historical signet ring as to communicate the findings of my research. It should be fun! Professor Megan Strickfaden of the Department of Human Ecology is co-supervising me. She will provide support regarding the art/creative/material culture aspects of the ring. I also attend a local smithing studio in town and have a professional jewellery smith/teacher who will support me there. This is where I will be building the replica(s)."
"It is such great news that Athena's application for URI funding was successful," said Professor Shannon O'Byrne. "URI's focus on interdisciplinarity produces some inspiring ideas and Athena's is one of them. I'm looking forward to co-supervising Athena's work with Professor Strickfaden and in particular, learning more about how material culture intersects with legal ceremony."
The URI Research stipend program enables undergraduate students to carry out mentored research projects and creative works activities. This stipend allows undergraduate students to enrich their university experience through hands-on discovery and skill development in a research intensive university. Priority is given to interdisciplinary work.