PAUL WEINER

Reference Objects compose the intellectual atmosphere of Weiner's studio and surroundings. These objects are held as sources and points of access to the artist's autobiographical and studio ephemera as well as broader fields like science, natural history, religion, and technology.

This inventory serves as a time capsule with an open archive.

RO-01

Reference Object (Yellow Haüyne, 2.1 ct, Chartreuse)

Classification

Haüyne, silicate mineral, tectosilicate, sodalite group, Na₃Ca(Si₃Al₃)O₁₂(SO₄)

Origin

Sar-e-Sang, Badakhshan, Afghanistan

Measurements

2.1 carats, 14.9 × 7.2 × 4 mm

Observation

Color shifts between glowing chartreuse and neon yellow under changing lighting conditions, UV reactive. The survival cut is impressively executed, retaining internal glow, transparency, and color despite significant inclusions. The specific combination of sulfur radicals required for this lemon-to-chartreuse color, primarily the yellow chromophore S₂⁻ radical (often in higher ratio to the blue S₃⁻ radical), occurs only occasionally in the limited Afghan (Badakhshan/Sar-e-Sang) production by comparison to the more common blue-dominant S₃⁻-rich material from classic German and Afghan sources. Facet-grade pieces of any color or size remain scarce due to the mineral's restricted volcanic occurrences and frequent inclusions.

Image Record

Digital documentation under white light reproduces observed saturation and hue.

Condition

Transparent gem with significant internal inclusions, healed fractures (normal for the species).

Reference Function

Retained as a color reference. Yellow faceted specimens over .3 ct are rarely available for direct study. Yellow haüyne is found in Badakhshan among the green variety on rare occasions. Much like its blue counterpart, it displays neon color intensity. Few similarly sized faceted examples exist.

RO-02

Reference Object (5 dreidels, cast lead alloy, Vilna ghetto)

Classification

Dreidels, Hanukkah objects, cast lead alloy, Ashkenazi (Litvak) vernacular type

Origin

Ashkenazi Litvak origin, recovered by metal detection in the area of the former Vilna ghetto.

Measurements

8 - 18 grams each

Observation

Irregular casting and surface pitting indicate small-scale production. Hebrew letterforms are shallow and inconsistently resolved, at times nearly illegible and subsumed by corrosion. The lead alloy has oxidized into a matte, granular surface that softens edges and compresses detail, producing a visual flattening over time. Found by metal detection near the former Vilna ghetto, the dreidels are stand-ins for Jews memorialized by history.

Image Record

Digital documentation accurately represents observed condition.

Condition

Surface corrosion is active in areas. Handling is limited due to probable lead content. Gloves or post-contact handwashing recommended.

Reference Function

Serves as a reference for the conversion of functional objects into narrative objects. Materially unchanged, the object accrues meaning through historical proximity to the Vilna ghetto.

RO-03

Reference Object (Richterite, 7.75 ct, Internal Rainbow Spectral Event)

Classification

Richterite–Winchite series, silicate mineral, inosilicate (double-chain), amphibole group, Na(CaNa)(Mg₅–₄Al)Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂

Origin

Badakhshan, Afghanistan

Measurements

7.75 carats, 16 x 10 × 5.7 mm

Observation

A visible rainbow refracts from a structurally induced spectral phenomenon aligned across the crown in a manner that appears unusually coherent. The effect is likely caused by thin-film interference or oriented cleavage/inclusion planes acting as diffraction surfaces that reads as intentional. The gem functions as a reference for emergent optical behavior within amphibole-group gemstones, where rarity is driven more by internal structure than by color alone.

Image Record

The spectral effect is present in digital documentation, but it resists stable photographic capture.

Condition

Tubular inclusions, transparent gem.

Reference Function

Retained as a structural and optical reference. Few similarly sized faceted examples exist.

RO-04

Reference Object (Photograph of Great Great Great Grandfather, Louis Radetsky son of Shalom Radetsky)

Classification

Studio portrait photograph of Louis Radetsky, reprinted copy of gelatin silver print original, likely contact printed

Origin

Born 1851, Shereshevo, Pruzhany, Grodno, Belarus (52°33' N, 24°13' E); died 1923, Denver, Colorado, United States of America

Measurements

3.25 × 3.25 inches

Observation

The kashket style kippah associates the man with 20th century American Jewish immigrant culture in dialogue with Chassidic life and old world culture from the subject's life in Grodno, Belarus.

Image Record

An image field of approximately 2.5 × 2.5 inches on a slightly larger trimmed sheet.

Condition

Handling, fading, and age-related wear including creasing and fading.

Reference Function

Serves as a genealogical reference.

RO-05

Reference Object (Yellow Haüyne, .34 ct, Vivid Yellow to Chartreuse)

Classification

Haüyne, silicate mineral, tectosilicate, sodalite group, Na₃Ca(Si₃Al₃)O₁₂(SO₄)

Origin

Sar-e-Sang, Badakhshan, Afghanistan

Measurements

.34 carats, 5 x 5 × 3 mm

Observation

Color shifts between vivid and neon yellow with a slight green undertone under changing lighting conditions, UV reactive. The clarity is clean for the species with strong brilliance for a faceted yellow haüyne. The specific combination of sulfur radicals required for this lemon-to-chartreuse color, primarily the yellow chromophore S₂⁻ radical (often in higher ratio to the blue S₃⁻ radical), occurs only occasionally in the limited Afghan (Badakhshan/Sar-e-Sang) production by comparison to the more common blue-dominant S₃⁻-rich material from classic German and Afghan sources. Facet-grade pieces of any color or size remain scarce due to the mineral's restricted volcanic occurrences and frequent inclusions.

Image Record

The digital documentation understates the vivid quality of the yellow, which shifts in the light and is particularly strong in sunlight. Inclusions appear overstated in documentation.

Condition

The gem appears quite clean for the species, reading close to eye clean in real life despite some inclusions.

Reference Function

Retained as a color reference. Yellow faceted specimens over .3 ct are rarely available for direct study. Yellow haüyne is found in Badakhshan among the green variety on rare occasions. Much like its blue counterpart, it displays neon color intensity.