Some objects are designed to be admired. Others are handled, blessed, carried or consulted because their meaning reaches beyond appearance.
Robert Harper's religion and occult collection contains 22 unique photographs across 81 frames. Rosary beads, a Buddha, an altar, a Hindu deity, tarot cards, incense, a blessing and a necklace with a cross form a small but culturally varied group.
Photographing significance
Harper's jewellery and still-life experience gave him the technical means to record beads, metal, smoke and carved forms with precision. The objects also have distinct cultural, devotional and ritual contexts beyond their visual qualities.
Devotional, cultural and occult material are approached through their individual contexts, with identification and terminology grounded in the surviving records.
The collection may support publishing, material-culture research, documentary work and exhibitions when handled with appropriate context.