How do you deaccession components?

I mean, for instance say you had a tea set--a beautiful tea set, but one
with a lot of stuff that you already had. Say you had one accession number
assigned to the tea set as a whole with all the pieces as components. Say
you sold off some of the plates, a spoon or two, and maybe even a cup. Say
none of these components were in numerical order within the record.

How would you be isolate only the deaccessioned items, assign each of them
some sort of return receipt number, and print out a return receipt
report--all the while still retaining the integrity of the current record?

I eagerly await your replies because, quite frankly, it's stumped the lot
of us.

Much obliged.


Vicki Cain
Sr. Administrative Assistant
Registrar's Office
Yale University Art Gallery
Phone: 203/432-7876
Fax:     203/432-7159