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Gallery Cataloguing Generic Object Template

Information that identifies the work, including type, components, and count.

Work Type * Required 2.1 AAT_OBJECT_TYPES

The specific kind of object or work being described. Use controlled vocabulary (AAT preferred). Examples: painting, photograph, sculpture, textile.

Select the most specific term that describes the object. For composite works, list the primary type first. The Work Type helps users search and filter results, so consistency is important.

Examples:

oil painting

gelatin silver print

marble sculpture

wool tapestry

Spectrum equivalent: Object name

Work Type Qualifier 2.1.1

Qualifies uncertainty about the work type: possibly, probably, formerly classified as.

Components/Parts 2.2

Number and description of physical components. Examples: "diptych (2 panels)", "portfolio of 12 prints", "3-piece place setting".

Object Number * Required 2.3

Unique identifier assigned by the repository. This should follow your institution's numbering system.

The accession or catalog number that uniquely identifies this object within your collection. Format varies by institution (e.g., "2024.001.001", "P-1234", "ACC.2024/001").

Spectrum equivalent: Object number

Titles, names, or other identifying phrases for the work.

Title * Required 3.1

The primary title of the work. May be assigned by creator, owner, or cataloguer.

Enter the most commonly used or official title. If the work is untitled, create a descriptive title in square brackets: [Portrait of a woman in blue dress]. For non-English titles, you may add a translation in parentheses.

Examples:

The Starry Night

Untitled

[Landscape with cattle]

Guernica

Title Type * Required 3.1.1 CCO_TITLE_TYPES

The source or nature of the title.

Repository: assigned by your institution | Creator: given by the artist | Inscribed: found on the work | Popular: commonly known title | Descriptive: based on subject depicted | Former: previously used title | Translated: translation of original title

Title Language 3.1.2 ISO639_2

Language of the title (ISO 639-2 code).

Alternate Titles 3.2

Other titles by which the work is known. Include former titles, translations, and variant spellings.

Information about who created the work, when, and where.

Creator (Display) * Required 4.1

Creator name as it should appear in displays and labels. Format: Surname, Forename (Nationality, birth-death).

This is the display version of the creator's name. It may include life dates, nationality, and attribution qualifiers. Example: "Picasso, Pablo (Spanish, 1881-1973)" or "Attributed to Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669)"

Creator (Authority) * Required 4.1 ULAN

Link to authority record. Search ULAN or local authority file.

Link this work to an authority record for the creator. This enables browsing all works by this creator and provides biographical information. Use ULAN IDs when available.

Spectrum equivalent: Production person

Creator Role * Required 4.1.1 AAT_CREATOR_ROLES

The role of each creator. Use AAT role terms.

Attribution Qualifier Recommended 4.1.2 CCO_ATTRIBUTION

Qualifies degree of certainty about attribution.

Use when attribution is uncertain: "attributed to" (probably by), "workshop of" (made in artist's workshop), "circle of" (contemporary follower), "school of" (trained by or influenced by), "manner of" (in the style of, but later), "after" (copy of known work), "copy after" (known to be a copy)

Date (Display) * Required 4.2

Date as it should appear in displays. Include qualifiers like "ca.", "before", "after".

Enter the date in human-readable format. Use standard abbreviations: ca. (circa/approximately), bef. (before), aft. (after). Examples: "1889", "ca. 1650", "15th century", "1920-1925", "before 1750"

Examples:

1889

ca. 1650

15th century

1920-1925

ca. 1900-1910

Earliest Date Recommended 4.2.1

Earliest possible creation date (YYYY or YYYY-MM-DD). Used for searching.

Latest Date Recommended 4.2.2

Latest possible creation date (YYYY or YYYY-MM-DD). For certain dates, same as earliest.

Place of Creation Recommended 4.3 TGN

Geographic location where work was created. Use TGN for standardized names.

Spectrum equivalent: Production place

Culture/People 4.4 AAT_CULTURES

Cultural, ethnic, or national group. Important when creator is unknown.

Examples:

Zulu

Ndebele

San

Dutch

French

Italian Renaissance

Style, period, group, school, or movement.

Style Recommended 5.1 AAT_STYLES

Artistic style or movement. Use AAT style terms.

Examples:

Impressionist

Art Deco

Baroque

Abstract Expressionist

Fauvism

Period 5.2 AAT_PERIODS

Historical or stylistic period.

Examples:

Renaissance

Victorian era

Apartheid era

Colonial period

School/Group 5.3

Specific artistic school, group, or workshop.

Examples:

Bauhaus

Pre-Raphaelites

New Group (South Africa)

Physical dimensions and other measurements.

Dimensions (Display) * Required 6.1

Blue

Dimensions as displayed. Format: H × W × D (unit). Always specify unit.

For 2D works: height × width. For 3D: height × width × depth. Include frame dimensions separately if relevant. Examples: "73.7 × 92.1 cm", "45 × 30 × 15 cm (with base)"

Spectrum equivalent: Dimension

Height Recommended 6.2

Height in centimeters (numeric only).

Width Recommended 6.2

Width in centimeters (numeric only).

Depth 6.2

Depth in centimeters (numeric only). For 3D objects.

Weight 6.3

Weight in kilograms (numeric only). For sculptures and heavy objects.

Dimension Notes 6.4

Additional notes: measured with/without frame, irregular dimensions, etc.

Physical materials and techniques used to create the work.

Medium (Display) * Required 7.1

Materials/medium as displayed. Examples: "oil on canvas", "bronze", "gelatin silver print".

Describe the materials and support in the order: medium on support. For prints: printing technique (medium) on paper type. Be specific when possible.

Examples:

oil on canvas

bronze

gelatin silver print

watercolor on paper

carved wood with polychrome

Materials (Indexed) Recommended 7.1.1 AAT_MATERIALS

Individual materials for indexing. Use AAT material terms.

Examples:

oil paint

canvas

bronze

marble

gold leaf

paper

Techniques Recommended 7.2 AAT_TECHNIQUES

Production techniques. Use AAT technique terms.

Examples:

casting

carving

engraving

weaving

throwing (pottery)

Support * Required 7.3 AAT_SUPPORTS

The base material on which the work is executed.

Examples:

canvas

panel

paper

vellum

board

What the work represents or depicts.

Subject (Display) Recommended 8.1

Brief description of what is depicted or represented.

Subjects Depicted Recommended 8.2 AAT_SUBJECTS

Subjects shown in the work. Use controlled vocabulary.

Examples:

landscapes

portraits

still lifes

religious subjects

historical events

Iconography 8.3 ICONCLASS

Iconographic subjects (religious, mythological, allegorical themes).

Named Subjects 8.4

Specific people, places, or events depicted.

Marks, inscriptions, and signatures on the work.

Inscriptions 9.1

Any writing, marks, or labels on the work. Include location and transcription.

Record signatures, dates, dedications, labels, stamps, and marks. Format: "[text]" [location] [method]. Example: "Signed and dated lower right: Picasso 1937"

Signature Recommended 9.2

Artist signature details.

Examples:

Signed lower right

Monogrammed "JHP" lower left

Unsigned

Marks/Labels 9.3

Collector marks, gallery labels, stamps.

Descriptive text about the work.

Description Recommended 11.1

Blue

A narrative description of the work including visual elements and significance.

Physical Description 11.2

Detailed physical characteristics not covered elsewhere.

Current physical condition.

Condition Summary Recommended 12.1

Brief overall condition assessment.

Spectrum equivalent: Condition

Condition Notes 12.2

Detailed condition description. Link to full condition reports.

Where the work is currently held.

Repository * Required 13.1

The institution that holds the work.

Location Recommended 13.2

Specific location: gallery, storage area, shelf.

Spectrum equivalent: Current location

Credit Line Recommended 13.3

Standard credit text for publications and labels.

Examples:

Gift of John Smith, 2020

Purchased with funds from the Heritage Foundation

Relationships to other works.

Related Works 14.1

Other works related to this one (studies, copies, pairs, series).

Relationship Type 14.2

Nature of the relationship.

Rights and reproduction information.

Rights Statement Recommended 15.1

Copyright status and usage rights.

Copyright Holder 15.2

Current copyright owner.

Reproduction Conditions 15.3

Terms for reproducing images of the work.

Source language
English

Last updated
December 16, 2025 4:51 AM

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