Hi Fatima,

 

We also did a review and partial-overhaul of our classifications. Our current iteration is similar to Jeremy’s where we tried to make sure that the end-user was kept in mind to better facilitate queries through eMuseum. Our classifications had not been reviewed for several decades, and there were only like ten or so. It has broadened significantly, but is due for another round of review to address identified gaps from re-classifying. One important aspect we utilized were sub-classifications which were selectively decided upon for more complex areas of the collection. One critical aspect that I made sure we built into reclassifying was establishing and maintaining a definitions document for each classification to provide guidance for future cataloguing. Again, still a work in progress (but will we every truly be done?!), but enjoy!

 

(not assigned)

Architectural Elements

Archival Material

Arms and Armor

Artist Installations

Artists’ Materials

Books

Canework

Ceramics

Collages / Assemblages

Costumes and Accessories

                Amulets & Talismans

                Jewelry

Decorative Arts (phasing out with the more specific classifications but currently still in use)

Digital Art

Display Materials

                Bases / Pedastels

Documents

Drawings

Fakes & Forgeries

Frames

Furniture

Glass

Ivories

Jades

Jewelry (still phasing out, folded in as a sub-class for Costumes and accessories)

Lacquerware

Manuscripts

Maps, charts and plans

Metalwork

                Bronzes

                Coins

                Enamels

                Medals and Plaquettes

                Pewterware

                Silverware

Mosaics

Musical Instruments

Non-Western Miniatures (actively renaming)

Paintings

Pastels

Photographs

Portrait Miniatures

Prints

Reproductions

Sculpture

Silhouettes

Textiles

Time-based Media

Utilitarian Objects

Watercolors

Woodwork

 

 

Best,

 

Sarah Gillis, Associate Registrar, Collection Documentation

 

WORCESTER ART MUSEUM   /  worcesterart.org 
fifty-five salisbury street / worcester, massachusetts 01609
direct 508.793.4427 / general 508.799.4406

 

 
Jewels of the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Treasures 

from the Worcester Art Museum

June 18, 2022 through January 29, 2023

 

 

 

 

Howdy,

 

We redid ours a couple years ago, I’m partial towards classifications being primarily a query aid rather than oriented towards specific departments or sections of a museum. For example a pretty classic request I use in TMS training to explain querying is “Imagine someone asks you ‘how many On View paintings are there?”

 

Architectural Element

Book and Manuscript

Ceramics

Decorative Arts

Drawing and Collage

Figure

Installation

Jewelry

Mask

Painting

Photograph

Print

Sculpture

Textile and Fiber Arts

Time Based Media

 

 

By FAR our most imprecise one is Sculpture – which essentially contains all 3D objects that did not have big enough sets to warrant their own classification (for example the museum has enough Ceramics and we get enough requests for lists, etc, that it was worth breaking it out from Sculpture or Dec Arts. Same with Jewelry.

 

 

 

 

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