How do objects become imbued with the power that makes them worthy of display? How is the knowledge that we have about an object authenticated? This grouping features an everyday shopping bag, along with a brass roller used to label meat as kosher and a tag, originally attached to a prayer shawl that certifies that the rayon tzit tzits are kosher and acceptable for use on a rayon tallit.
In each case, the object presented here is usually considered to be of little or no value, except in its relation to something far more important—the purchased item carried home in the shopping bag, the piece of meat labeled as kosher by the roller, and the prayer shawl itself. The objects on display, themselves mere markers of validity, suggest the presence of those primary items that are usually considered the valuable commodity. After serving their purpose, the tag and the shopping bag may be discarded without a second thought, while the roller is unlikely even to be considered by the individual who is more concerned that the meat be properly prepared than with how it is marked. Showcasing these three items, as opposed to those that they validate, focuses attention on the symbol of authenticity, and raises provocative questions about how cultural value is determined and cultural knowledge is certified.
