Since 1345, the central motif of the Tucher family coat of arms has been the head of a Person of Colour in profile. While in the early modern period the depiction was interpreted as a portrait of St Maurice and a symbol of Christian defence and virtue, depictions from the colonial period tend to suggest stereotypical, racialising ideas of Black people.
As part of the doctoral scholarship “The representation of Black people in European art and material culture using the example of the Tucher family coat of arms”, some of the diverse questions raised by the family coat of arms will be explored. What can the changing depiction of Black people/ BIPoC/ people of the global majority in the coat of arms over the centuries tell us about the perception of people from Africa and the African diaspora in Europe? How did the presence of Black people in Europe shape the representations? What role did upheavals in the history of ideas and political economy, such as the Enlightenment in Europe, the transatlantic trade in enslaved people and the colonisation of non-European territories, play in the different forms of representation? What purposes did the identification of a white patrician family with a Black person serve in these different eras? And to what extent did the changing materiality of European art and craftsmanship influence the forms of depiction of the family coat of arms?
The doctoral candidate is invited to set their own research priorities according to their expertise (epochs, materialities) and to contribute comparative examples to the research. A critical examination of the tipping points of self-perception and external attribution expressed by the changing family coat of arms is desired. Reference to approaches from Postcolonial and Critical Whiteness Studies is also expressly encouraged.
Your tasks:
- Independent research on the topic “The representation of Black people in European art and material culture using the example of the Tucher family coat of arms”
- Annual research reports
- Conclusion of a supervisory relationship at the University of Bonn at the start of the fellowship
Your profile:
- Completed Master's degree in social and cultural anthropology, history, art history, cultural studies, museum studies, material culture studies, postcolonial studies or related subjects
- Experience in dealing with historical German scripts
- Experience in dealing with historical material culture
Scholarship:
1,700 €/ month doctoral scholarship, 1,500 €/ year travel and material costs
The scholarship should be started as soon as possible. The deadline for applications is 31 January 2024.
For details, please refer to the official call for applications: https://www.uni-bonn.de/de/universitaet/medien-universitaet/medien-arbeiten-an-der-uni/medien-personalmanagement/pdfs-stellenausschreibungen-studierende/call-for-applications_tucher-family-coat-of-arms_engl.pdf