DEFINITION
The
substances or materials used in the creation of a work of art or architecture,
as well as any production or manufacturing techniques, processes, or methods
incorporated in its fabrication. This information includes a description
of both the materials used to create the work and the way in which they
were put together.
SUBCATEGORIES
GENERAL
DISCUSSION
A
description of the materials and technique is core; it is strongly
recommended to also index the materials and technique with controlled
vocabulary.
What
are materials and techniques?
The subcategories in this section identify the substances and materials
of which a work of art or architecture is composed. It also identifies
the techniques and methods of production used to create the work. For
groups of works, it describes all the materials and techniques used to
create items in the group, or it describes the most important or most
typical materials and techniques evident in the group. Where applicable,
the "role" of a material may be distinguished as medium
(e.g., oil paint, watercolor, graphite) or as support
(e.g., canvas, oak panel, laid paper).
Specificity and exhaustivity
Specificity
and exhaustivity are relevant for both the free-text description and the
indexing fields. Specificity refers to choice of a term expressing
the specific nature of a material (e.g., poplar) over a more general
term (e.g., wood). The guidelines in this section recommend recording
the most specific term that is appropriate. However, the degree of detail
or specificity with which a material or technique is described
will depend upon the knowledge and expertise of the cataloger and the
expertise of the intended end-users. For the indexing fields, an additional
consideration is the ability to retrieve by broader contexts.If your data does not utilize a thesaurus which may be used for retrieval,
you must enter both the specific term and its broader context(s). For
example, if you cannot retrieve by the broader wood, in order to
achieve adequate retrieval, you will have to enter both the specific poplar
and the broader context wood, in the work record.
Exhaustivity refers to thoroughness of analysis and number of
terms assigned for description and indexing. Thoroughness and a high level
of exhaustivity are preferred over a cursory analysis. For example, if
the information is available, laminated copper and gold with inlays
of shell and mother of pearl would be preferred over metal with
inlays (which is both less exhaustive and less specific than the first
description). However, the level of exhaustivity may be limited by the
availability of information to the cataloger and the constraints of time
and cataloging priorities of the institution.
Uncertainty
If analysis or documentation is inconclusive or impossible, or there is
scholarly uncertainty about the physical attributes of a work, this should
be indicated in the free-text DESCRIPTION field (e.g., oil or oil and
tempera on panel, or acrylic paint, probably applied with a palette
knife). Such uncertainty may require that the multiple possibilities
be indexed in the controlled fields. For example, if it is uncertain which
of two materials was used, they should both be indexed in the controlled
indexing fields for retrieval.
Uses
It is fundamentally important for researchers to know the materials of
which a work is composed. In addition, the material of the support
is often used as a traditional way of organizing materials, especially
in museum collections. For example, works on paper are generally organized
separately from works on panel or canvas. Researchers may be interested
to know the use of different
media at specific stages in the process of creating a work of art. In
studying the creative process, a researcher may wish to examine the use
of particular combinations of materials in the evolution of some works.
For example, black chalk on blue laid paper was often used for
portrait studies. The availability of new
materials often influences the design process, such as the use of bent
plywood or tubular steel in early twentieth-century furniture.
Materials
and technique may play a role regarding the question of the attribution
of a work to a particular "hand." Because an artist will handle materials
in different ways, and because different modes of expression are more
appropriate to one technique than another, grouping works by these characteristics
is useful for purposes of comparison. For example, consider the difference
in expressive character between a brush-and-ink drawing and a pen-and-ink
drawing.
Cataloging
rules
For the subcategories in this section, basic recommendations
and discussion are provided below. For a fuller, more prescriptive
set of cataloging rules for some of the subcategories, see
Chapter 3: Physical Characteristics in Cataloging
Cultural Objects (CCO), which deals with a critical subset
of the CDWA.
RELATED
CATEGORIES and ACCESS
The
subcategory MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUE - DESCRIPTION is required. Providing
access to this information through indexing the pertinent information
in the appropriate subcategories is strongly recommended.
The
means by which a work was assembled or created, including a detailed discussion
of the relationship of one pigment or material to another, should be recorded
in FACTURE. Detailed scientific examination of the work can be described
in CONDITION/EXAMINATIONHISTORY. Physical changes that took place after
the object or work was created or manufactured should be recorded under
CONDITION/EXAMINATION HISTORY, except for those resulting from conservation
or restoration treatment, which should be recorded in CONSERVATION/TREATMENT
HISTORY. Specific
patterns or shapes formed with the materials should be noted in the category
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION.
The
information in the subcategories of MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES may be used
to formulate queries in association with other characteristics of a work.
This will make it possible, for example, to locate Venetian works on blue
paper, Flemish etchings from the eighteenth century, or trois-crayon
drawings that were not made in France.
Materials and Techniques - Description
DEFINITION
An indication of the substances or materials used in the creation of
a work, as well as any implements, production or manufacturing techniques,
processes, or methods incorporated in its fabrication, presented in a
syntax suitable for display to the end-user and including any necessary
indications of uncertainty, ambiguity, and nuance. For works on paper,
descriptions of watermarks may also be included. (For marks applied to
the work or support by the artist or subsequently by another person, see
INSCRIPTIONS.)
EXAMPLES
-
oil on canvas [Figure
17]
- egg-tempera paint with tooled gold-leaf halos on panel [Figure
28]
- oil or oil and tempera on panel transferred to canvas
[Figure
8]
- distemper (thin washes of pigment in animal glue) on linen [Figure
24]
- pen and brown ink and black chalk on paper [Figure
30]
- silverpoint, with white heightening, on silver-gray prepared paper
- red and black chalk and brown and reddish wash, squared in black chalk
[Figure 27]
- pen and brown (iron-gall) ink and wash, graphite, watercolor, gouache
and opaque white, with gum arabic and scraping out, on gray wove paper
- aqua tint over an etched outline
-
pen and sepia ink on laid paper; watermark: star in circle with cross
- etching, engraving, and drypoint on laid paper
- gelatin silverprint [Figure
12]
- bronze
- iron, artificially oxidized
- Carrara marble on granite base
- engraved and polished dark green agate [Figure
29]
- marble with polychromy
- Volkswagen bus with 20 sledges, each carrying felt, fat, and a flashlight
[1]
- gold plate over silver, with semiprecious stones
- leaded and stained glass
- wool and cotton
- veneered with mahogany, with gilt bronze mounts
[Figure 13]
- gilded maple
- painted and glazed earthenware
- soft-paste porcelain, colored enamel decoration, gilding [Figure
1]
- boulle marquetry in brass and tortoise shell
- wooden frame, adobe, with red tile roof
- limestone with sandstone flying buttresses
- steel frame with steel and glass panels
- "The stage was in the cellar, and all the lights in the shop
were out; groans rose from a trap-door. Another joker hidden behind
a wardrobe insulted the persons present... [T]he Dadas, without ties
and wearing white gloves, passed back and forth... André Breton
chewed up matches, Ribemont-Dessaignes kept screaming, 'It's raining
on a skull,' Aragon caterwauled. Philipe Soupault played hide-and-seek
with Tzara, while Benjamin Péret and Charchoune shook hands every
other minute. On the doorstep, Jacques Rigaut counted the automobiles
and the pearls of the lady visitors..." [2]
DISCUSSION
and GUIDELINES
Required: Record the matter, materials, or substances used
to create a work, and the processes, techniques, and implements used to
apply or form the materials, as appropriate. This
subcategory supplies a description of the technique, media, and support
used in the creation of the work. When necessary, clarify the relationship
between the materials and the techniques used to apply them.
Technique encompasses the instruments and methods
used in the application of materials. Materials are
the substances of which the work is composed. In many forms
of art, a distinction is made between materials used as the
media, and materials used as the support. Medium
is the material applied to the support. Support is the surface
upon which media have been applied. For example, for a drawing
described as pen and brown ink and black chalk on paper
[Figure
30], pen is the instrument, ink and black
chalk are the media, and paper is the support.
Form and syntax
In most cases, express terms for materials and techniques in the singular
form. Where appropriate, use the plural form of the term instead of the
singular; use terminology that reflects the characteristics of the work
being cataloged. For example, if several feathers have been applied as
a material, use the plural term feathers (e.g., beaded leather
band with three eagle feathers). Do not use abbreviations. Use lower
case except when a material is distinguished by a proper noun (e.g., Carrara
marble) or is known by its brand name (e.g., Formica™).
Do not use brand names unless the material is known exclusively or primarily
by that term.
Use
natural word order. List medium or media first, followed by the support
(if pertinent). If there is no support, as with sculpture, list only the
medium. If more than one technique or medium was used, list them in the
sequence of their application, if known (e.g., graphite, pen and black
ink, with gray wash) or the order of their importance or prominence
(e.g., in the following example, the media of the image are more important
than the squaring, which was applied first: red and black chalk and
brown and reddish wash, squared in black chalk [Figure
27]).
TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Free-text: This is not a controlled field. Index the materials
and techniques in the subcategories below.
RELATED
CATEGORIES and ACCESS
In order to have access to the information in this description, index
this free-text note with the other MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES
subcategories. If multiple parts of the work require separate
materials and techniques or if you are recording media and
support separately, repeat the EXTENT subcategory with repeating
sets of the other indexing subcategories. For example, colors,
such as red, blue, or pale green, are a distinguishing
characteristic of materials or media. Since color can be associated
with either a medium and a support, as in the case of red
ink and blue paper, a link must be maintained between
these terms to maintain this meaning.
Materials
and Techniques - Extent
DEFINITION
The
specific part of a work composed of a certain material manufactured or
created using a particular technique.
EXAMPLES
overall
surface
statue
base
lid
backing board
lower panel
glaze
DISCUSSION
and GUIDELINES
Optional: As necessary, record the part of
the work to which the media or technique was applied.Use lower
case.
Works of art can be made up of many different parts, each
composed of different materials, and made using different
techniques. Recording the extent of the use of a particular
material or technique clarifies this relationship.
TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Controlled list or authority: Given that the terminology
for EXTENT typically will comprise a relatively short list, you may control
this subcategory with a simple controlled list. Alternatively, link it
to the GENERIC CONCEPT AUTHORITY.
Use controlled vocabulary: AAT (especially Objects facet),
ACRL/RBMS Binding Terms, ACRL/RBMS Genre Terms, ACRL/RBMS
Paper Terms, ACRL/RBMS Printing and Publishing Evidence, Base
Mérimée: Lexique, the British Archaeological
Thesaurus, Glass' Subject Index for the Visual Arts, ICOM
Costume Terms, Index of Jewish Art, ISO 5127-3: Iconic Documents,
ISO 5127-11: Audio-visual Documents, LC Descriptive Terms
for Graphic Materials, Moving Image Materials, Revised Nomenclature,
Reyniès' Le Mobilier Domestique, and Tozzer Library
Headings.
Materials
and Techniques - Technique Name
DEFINITION
The
names of the means, method, process, or technique by which a material
was used in the creation of a work.
EXAMPLES
|
drawing [Figure
27]
painting [Figure
28]
sculpting [Figure
11]
lost wax
stumping
pricking
carving
intaglio [Figure
29]
engraving
etching
gilding
weaving
chasing
tooling
aquatint
burnishing
coating
overpainting
|
montage
inlaidcollage
red figure
finger painting
underdrawing
drawing à deux crayons
stipple engraving
stumping
stencil
duplicating
impasto
gelatin-silver print [Figure
12]
assemblage
chromogenic color process
half-timber construction
balloon frame
wattle and daub
board and batten construction
prefabrication
|
DISCUSSION
and GUIDELINES
Optional: Record terms indexing the technique
used to create the work. It is optional, but highly recommended,
to record the methods by which materials are utilized in creating
art or architecture, particularly when the process or technique
is not apparent from the materials used. For example, if paint
was applied by a technique other than painting, it
is more important to record that technique than if paint were
applied by painting.
Specificity
Use the most specific terms that are appropriate (e.g., use
gluing rather than the more general adhesion,
if known).
Form and syntax
Use terms in the gerund or noun form according to need and
usage (e.g., abrasion, tuning, weaving, glassmaking,
cartography, wattle and daub construction). Do not
use abbreviations. Use lower case except when the term includes
a proper noun. Do not use brand names unless the process is
known exclusively or primarily by that term. For English-language
records, use terms in English except where the concept is
known by a term in another language; use diacritics as appropriate
(e.g., décollage).
Given that materials may be fashioned, formed, or applied
to a work of art or architecture in many different ways, with
greatly varying results, an identification of the processes
or techniques used by an artist or architect is important
in understanding the work and how it was created. The identification
of an artist's techniques may involve conjecture and opinion.
A technical analysis may be necessary in order to identify
a particular process or technique. Identification of process
or techniques, printmaking or photography, is a skill that
requires connoisseurship or technical analysis. The process
by which an object, work, or image was created may not be
known or may be under dispute.
TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Authority: Control this subcategory with the
GENERIC CONCEPT AUTHORITY. Sources of controlled terminology
include the following: AAT (especially Processes and Techniques
hierarchy), ACRL/RBMS Binding Terms, and the Index of Jewish
Art.
Materials
and Techniques - Technique Implement
DEFINITION
The
name of any implement or tool used to create the work using the process
or technique.
EXAMPLES
roulette
compass
chisel
brush
eraser
chain saw
palette knife
felt tip pen
jacquard loom
burin
sable brush
scorper
pen
pencil
fingers
DISCUSSION
and GUIDELINES
Optional: It is optional, but highly recommended, to record
the tools or implements used in creating a work of art or
architecture, particularly when the implement is not apparent
from the materials used (e.g., if oil paint is applied with
a palette knife rather than the more typical paint brush,
it would be especially important to record palette knife).
Specificity
Use the most specific terms that are appropriate (e.g., use stylograph
rather than the more general pen, if known).
Form and syntax
Use terms in the singular noun form, unless more than one
of the same sort of implement was used (which would require
a plural term). Do not use abbreviations. Use lower case except
when the term includes a proper noun. Do not use brand names
unless the process is known exclusively or primarily by that
term. For English-language records, use terms in English except
where the concept is known by a term in another language;
use diacritics as appropriate.
Recording the name of the implements used to create a work
using a particular technique makes it possible to distinguish
between otherwise similar ways of creating a work of art or
architecture.
TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Authority: Control this subcategory with the
GENERIC CONCEPT AUTHORITY. , which can be populated with terminology
from the AAT (especially Tools and Equipment hierarchy) and
Revised Nomenclature.
Materials
and Techniques - Material Role
DEFINITION
The
role that a material plays in the composition of the work.
EXAMPLES
support
medium
DISCUSSION
and GUIDELINES
Optional: Record a term indicating if the material
is a support or medium. It is particularly important to distinguish
between medium and support when cataloging works that are
primarily two-dimensional, where materials are applied to
a surface to create an image.
Specificity
Use the most specific terms that are appropriate (e.g., use
copper rather than the more general metal, if
known).
Form and syntax
Use lower case.
Medium
is the material applied to the support. Examples of medium include
the following: ink, paint, pastels, watercolor, charcoal, vernis Martin,
mother of pearl, egg tempera, oil paint, gold leaf, iron gall ink, bronze,
gouache, Conté crayon™, deer bone, cinnabar, amethyst, graphite.
In other words, the materials applied over the support to create an image
are the media (e.g., oil paint or chalk). For sculpture,
architecture, and other three-dimensional works, any material of which
the work is made is typically called medium, rather than support.
Support is the surface upon which media have been applied. Examples
of support include the following: canvas, oak panel,
laid paper, wove paper, wood, copper, glass, marble, poplar,
linen, burlap sacking, Foam-Cor™, Formica™, fiberglass.
The support is the material on the surface of which an image
resides, as in paintings, drawings, prints, or photographs
(e.g., wood, canvas, or paper). There may be
primary and secondary supports (as with a sheet of paper
mounted to cardboard).
TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Controlled list: Use the following terms: support, medium.
Materials
and Techniques - Material Name
DEFINITION
The
name of the matter, material, or substance used to create the work of
art or architecture.
EXAMPLES
|
wood
glass
marble
poplar
charcoal
vernis Martin
laid paper
mother of pearl
egg tempera
paint
oil paint
gold
iron gall ink
|
bronze
ink
gouache
canvas
Conté crayon [TM]
Foam-Cor [TM]
burlap sacking
deer bone
cinnabar
amethyst
fiberglass
Formica [TM]
the artist
|
DISCUSSION
and GUIDELINES
Optional: It is optional, but highly recommended,
to index the matter, materials, or substances utilized in
creating the work of art or architecture. Index all media
and supports used to create the work by repeating this subcategory.
Specificity
Use
the most specific terms that are appropriate (e.g., use gluing rather
than the more general adhesion, if known).The identification
of materials is sometimes a matter of dispute which may require a technical
examination. Uncertainty must be accommodated (e.g., probably oil and
tempera on canvas).
Form and syntax
Use terms in the gerund or noun form according to need and
usage (e.g., abrasion, tuning, weaving, glassmaking,
cartography, wattle and daub construction). Do not
use abbreviations. Use lower case except when the term includes
a proper noun. Do not use brand names unless the process is
known exclusively or primarily by that term. For English-language
records, use terms in English except where the concept is
known by a term in another language; use diacritics as appropriate
(e.g., décollage).
TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Authority:
Control this subcategory with the GENERIC CONCEPT AUTHORITY,
which can be populated with terminology from the controlled vocabularies
named below. An authority with hierarchical structure, cross referencing,
and synonymous terms is recommended.
Sources for vocabulary include the following: AAT (especially
Materials hierarchy), ACRL/RBMS Paper Terms, the British Archaeological
Thesaurus, and Revised Nomenclature.
Materials and Techniques - Material
Color
DEFINITION
The
color of the material of which a work is composed.
EXAMPLES
vivid yellow
cerulean blue
red
light green
black
white
strong yellowish brown
pale purple
DISCUSSION
and GUIDELINES
Optional: Record a term specifying the color,
tint, or hue of the material, particularly if color is an
unusual or important characteristic of the work. Use lower
case.
The
identification of color is subjective, and the vocabulary used to describe
color may be vague. It is recommended to compare the work to a standard
color chart in order to achieve a level of consistency in this information.If the color has iconographic or symbolic meaning, record it also in SUBJECT
MATTER. This subcategory specifies the color of a material that is used
in the creation of the work.
TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Authority: Control this subcategory with the
GENERIC CONCEPT AUTHORITY, which can be populated with terminology
from the AAT Color hierarchy.
Materials and Techniques - Material
Source Place
DEFINITION
The geographic place from which the materials used to create the work
originated.
EXAMPLES
Siberia
China
Carrara (Tuscany, Italy)
North Africa
DISCUSSION
and GUIDELINES
Optional: Record the name of the geographic place from
which the material originated.
Form and syntax
Capitalize place names. Display places with broader contexts.
For rules regarding place names, see PLACE/LOCATION AUTHORITY
- PLACE NAMES.
Identifying the source of a material may aid in establishing
an attribution of a work to one artist or another, or it may
confirm a provenance or date for the object. The sources and
places of origin of materials can be found in specialized
texts that deal with the commerce and history of materials.
TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Authority: Control this subcategory with the
PLACE/LOCATION AUTHORITY, which can be populated with terminology
from the TGN and LCSH.
Materials
and Techniques - Watermarks
DEFINITION
A description of marks inherent in or applied to the material
before it was fashioned into the work, including watermarks
and stationers' stamps or marks.
EXAMPLES
- foolscap
- dog with a coat of arms in a circle
- snake with a ring
- letters EAL in orb with cross
- fleur de lys above a banded shield; countermark: STACE
[3]
- Florentine lily in double circle with F below and CAC
above
- crescents in a circle (possibly arms of Piccolomini)
- indistinct (probably walking man) [4]
- star in circle with cross (like Briquet 6088)
- watermark: none visible through lining [5]
DISCUSSION
and GUIDELINES
Optional: Describe the watermarks, stationers'
stamps, and other marks inherent in or applied to the material
before it was fashioned into the work of art, if known.
Form and syntax
Use lower case. Capitalize proper names.
If the mark corresponds to published sources (e.g., dictionaries
of watermarks), this should be indicated.
Alternatively, include the watermark or other mark and its
location on the work in the MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES - DESCRIPTION,
as warranted (e.g., engraving on laid paper, watermark
lower left: foolscap). Whichever location is chosen for
describing watermarks, be consistent.
This
subcategory may be used for works on paper, as well as for other works,
if appropriate. Marks are a characteristic of the material, generally
a paper support; they are typically not a part of the artistic creation.
TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Free text: This subcategory is free text. If
retrieval is required, index it with the subcategories below.
Materials and Techniques - Watermarks
- Identification
DEFINITION
An identification of the watermark type or name.
EXAMPLES
foolscap
Briquet 6088
DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES
Optional: Record a term or reference to a watermark
authority. Use lower case, but capitalize proper names.
If a watermark authority is cited, list the citation for
the authority in the CITATIONS subcategory.
TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Controlled list: Control this subcategory with
a controlled list of standard watermark descriptions based
on published catalogs and watermark dictionaries.
If retrieval on watermarks is important, it is recommended
to maintain a full-blown authority of watermarks rather than
a controlled list. In an authority, the IDENTIFICATION and
DATE subcategories described here in the CDWA could be combined
with fields for geographic distribution, paper producer, measurements,
and an image (beta-radiograph, photograph or negative, or
tracing) of the watermark. See the data dictionary described
by the Watermark Archives Initiative, cited below.
For bibliographies regarding sources of standard descriptions of watermarks,
beta-radiography, and related topics, see the following sites:
Allison,
Robert W. Archive of Watermarks and Papers in Greek Manuscripts.
Lewiston, Maine: Bates College, 1996. http://abacus.bates.edu/Faculty/wmarchive/wm-initiative/bibliography.html
(4 August 2005).
Ash, Nancy E. National Gallery of Art. "Recording Watermarks by
Beta-Radiography and Other Means." Book and Paper Group Annual:
1 (1982) http://aic.stanford.edu/sg/bpg/annual/v01/bp01-02.html (4 August
2005).
Heaton, Gabriel. Centre for the Study of the Renaissance. LIMA:
Watermark Databases. Warwick: University of Warwick, 2005. http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/ren/publications/lima/paper/describing/databases/
(4 August 2005).
Watermark Archives Initiative: International Paper Registry.
Lewiston, Maine: Bates College, 2004-. http://watermarkarchive.org/
(4 August 2005).
Materials
and Techniques - Materials - Watermarks - Date
DEFINITION
The
date or range of dates during which a particular mark in a material was
in widespread use.
EXAMPLES
1646
ca. 1740 - ca. 1752
before 1574
DISCUSSION
and GUIDELINES
Optional: Record the date or range of dates
when the mark found on the work was in use.
Form and syntax
Follow the applicable rules for display dates in CREATION
- CREATION DATE.
This information assists in providing a date for the work
itself, and in authenticating it. The information in this
subcategory may be found in the standard sources that catalog
marks on works, or assigned on the basis of specialized knowledge.
TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Free-text: This is not a controlled field. Maintain consistent
capitalization, punctuation, and syntax where possible. Index the dates
in the controlled EARLIEST and LATEST DATE subcategories.
Materials
and Techniques - Materials - Watermarks - Earliest Date
DEFINITION
The earliest date on which the watermark was used.
EXAMPLES
1646
1730
DISCUSSION
and GUIDELINES
Optional: Record the earliest year indicated by the display
DATE.
Form and syntax
Always record years in the proleptic Gregorian calendar in
the indexing dates fields. It is optional to record EARLIEST
DATE; however, if you record a value here, you must also record
LATEST DATE. For rules, see CREATION - CREATION DATE - EARLIEST
DATE.
TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Controlled format: Date information must be formatted consistently
to allow retrieval. Local rules should be in place. Suggested formats
are available in the ISO Standard and W3 XML Schema Part 2.
ISO 8601:2004 Representation of dates and times. International Organization
for Standardization. Data Elements and Interchange Formats. Information
Interchange. Representation of Dates and Times. Geneva, Switzerland:
International Organization for Standardization, 2004.
XML Schema Part 2: Datatypes, 2001. www.w3.org/TR/xmlschema-2/.
Materials
and Techniques - Materials - Watermarks - Latest Date
DEFINITION
The earliest date on which the watermark was used.
EXAMPLES
1646
1762
DISCUSSION
and GUIDELINES
Optional: Record the latest year indicated by the display
DATE.
Form and syntax
Always record years in the proleptic Gregorian calendar in
the indexing dates fields. It is optional to record LATEST
DATE; however, if you record a value here, you must also record
EARLIEST DATE. For rules, see CREATION - CREATION DATE - EARLIEST
DATE.
TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Controlled format: Date information must be formatted consistently
to allow retrieval. Local rules should be in place. Suggested formats
are available in the ISO Standard and W3 XML Schema Part 2.
ISO 8601:2004 Representation of dates and times. International Organization
for Standardization. Data Elements and Interchange Formats. Information
Interchange. Representation of Dates and Times. Geneva, Switzerland:
International Organization for Standardization, 2004.
XML Schema Part 2: Datatypes, 2001. www.w3.org/TR/xmlschema-2/.
Materials
and Techniques - Actions
DEFINITION
An identification and description of any actions to be performed
during the execution of the work, used primarily for performance
art.
EXAMPLES
dance
recitation
painting
standing
walking
clapping
watching
screaming
growing
melting
sleeping
pouring
rotting
laughing
DISCUSSION
and GUIDELINES
Optional: Record a term describing any actions
that are incorporated into the work. Use lower case.
Link actions to the materials or techniques used in association
with them as necessary. It is particularly important to record
ACTIONS for new media and performance art.
The information in this subcategory may be determined on the basis of
the description of the materials and techniques of the work. When a work
is not well documented, all the actions that were incorporated into it
may not be known. Uncertainty should be described in MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES
- DESCRIPTION.
TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Authority: Control this subcategory with the GENERIC CONCEPT
AUTHORITY, which can be populated with terminology from
the controlled vocabularies named below. An authority with hierarchical
structure, cross referencing, and synonymous terms is recommended.
Sources of terminology include the following: AAT Activities
facet, Garnier's Thesaurus iconographique, LC Thesaurus for
Graphic Materials, or ICONCLASS.
Materials and Techniques - Remarks
DEFINITION
Additional notes or comments pertinent to information in
this category..
DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES
Optional: Record a note regarding the materials
and techniques used in creating the work. Use consistent syntax
and format. For rules regarding writing notes, see DESCRIPTIVE
NOTE.
FORMAT/TERMINOLOGY
Free-text: This is not a controlled field.
Use consistent syntax and format.
Materials and Techniques -
Citations
DEFINITION
A reference to a bibliographic source, unpublished document,
or individual opinion that provides the basis for the information
recorded in this category.
DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES
Optional: Record the sources used for information
in this category. For a full set of rules for CITATIONS, see
RELATED TEXTUAL REFERENCES - CITATIONS.
TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT
Authority: Ideally, this information is controlled
by citations in the citations authority; see RELATED TEXTUAL
REFERENCES.
Materials and Techniques
- Citations - Page
DEFINITION
Page number, volume, date accessed for Web sites, and any
other information indicating where in the source the information
was found.
DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES
Optional: For a full set of rules for PAGE,
see RELATED TEXTUAL REFERENCES - CITATIONS - PAGE.
FORMAT/TERMINOLOGY
Free-text: This is not a controlled field.
Use consistent syntax and format.
EXAMPLES
[The following examples demonstrate how medium, support, implement,
and color may be indexed separately. Note that some institutions will
not require separate indexing of these characteristics.]
For
paintings
[for a banner]
Materials/Techniques Description:
oil paint on linen canvas
Role: medium Material Name:
oil paint
Role: support Material Name:
linen canvas
Technique Name: painting
[for an altarpiece]
Materials/Techniques Description:
egg-tempera paint with tooled gold-leaf halos on panel
Role: medium Material
Name: egg tempera | gold leaf
Role: support Material Name:wood
panel
Technique Name: painting | gold tooling
[for a mural]
Materials/Techniques Description:
fresco
Material Name: fresco
Technique Name: fresco painting
[for a painting on canvas]
Materials/Techniques Description:
oil on canvas, applied with brush and palette knife
Role: medium Material
Name: oil paint |
Role: support Material Name:canvas
Technique Implement: brush | palette knife
For drawings, watercolors, prints, photographs
[for a drawing]
Materials/Techniques Description:
silverpoint with chalk heightening on prepared paper
Role: medium Material Name: chalk
Role: support Material Name: prepared
paper
Technique Name: silverpoint | heightening
| drawing
[for a drawing, color is indexed]
Materials/Techniques Description:
pen and black ink and brown chalk on ivory-colored
laid paper
Role: medium Material Name:
ink Color: black
Role: medium Material Name:
chalk Color: brown
Role: support Material Name:
laid paper Color: ivory
Technique Name: drawing Implement: pen
[for a drawing on paper with a watermark]
Materials/Techniques Description:
pen and sepia ink on laid paper, watermark: star
in circle with cross (like Briquet 6088)
Role: medium Material
Name: sepia
Role: support Material Name: laid
paper Watermark: star in circle with cross
(Briquet 6088)
Technique Name: drawing
Citation: Briquet, C.-M. Les filigranes: dictionnaire
historique des marques du papier dès leur apparition
vers 1282 jusqu'en 1600. A facsimile of the 1907 edition
with supplementary material contributed by a number of scholars.
Edited by Allan Stevenson. Amsterdam: Paper Publications
Society, 1968, 6088.
[for a watercolor]
Materials/Techniques Description:
watercolor on Arches™ paper
Role: medium Material
Name: watercolor
Role: support Material Name: Arches™
paper
Technique Name: painting
[for a modern print]
Materials/Techniques Description:
lithograph
Role: medium Material Name:
ink
Role: support Material Name: paper
Technique Name: lithograph
[for a manuscript illumination]
Materials/Techniques Description:
etching, burin and drypoint on vellum
Role: medium Material Name:
ink
Role: support Material Name: vellum
Technique Name: etching | drypoint Implement:
burin
[for a photograph]
Materials/Techniques Description:
albumen print
Role: support Material
Name: albumen paper
Technique Name: photography
[for a photograph]
Materials/Techniques Description:
glycerine-developed platinum print
Role: support Material Name: platinum
paper
Technique Name: glycerine process | photography
For sculpture, three-dimensional objects
[for a modern sculpture]
Materials/Techniques Description:
bronze
Role: support Material
Name: bronze
Technique Name: lost-wax process
[for an 19th-century sculpture]
Materials/Techniques Description:
white Carrara marble on gray granite base
Extent: statue
..Role: support Material
Name: Carrara marble Color: white
..Technique Name: carving
Extent: base
..Role: support Material
Name: granite Color: gray
..Technique Name: carving
[for an African mask]
Materials/Techniques Description:
painted wood, with raffia, metal, and kaolin
Role: medium Material
Name: raffia | metal | kaolin | paint
Role: support Material
Name: wood
Technique Name: carving | sewing | gluing
| painting
For manuscripts, books
[for a pamphlet]
Materials/Techniques Description:
letterpress on pale yellow paper
Role: support Material
Name: paper
Technique Name: letterpress printing
[for a rare book]
Materials/Techniques Description:
etchings on paper, casebound
Role: medium Material Name:
ink
Role: support Material
Name: paper
Technique Name: etching | case binding
[for a manuscript]
Materials/Techniques Description:
ink and tempera on vellum (illuminations), leather
and silver (binding)
Extent: folios/illuminations
..Role: medium Material Name:
ink | tempera
..Role: support Material
Name: vellum
..Technique Name: calligraphy | painting
Extent: binding
..Role: support Material
Name: leather | silver
For ceramics, glass, jewelry, ojets d'art, furniture
[for a bowl]
Materials/Techniques Description:
terracotta
Role: support Material
Name: terracotta
Technique Name: coiling
[for a vase]
Materials/Techniques Description:
free-blown glass
Role: support Material
Name: free-blown glass
[for an amphora; repeat "Black-figure" as a STYLE]
Materials/Techniques Description:
terracotta with Black-figure painting
Role: support Material
Name: terracotta
Technique Name: throwing | vase painting |
sintering | Black-figure
[for a pedestal plate]
Materials/Techniques Description:
painted and glazed earthenware
Role: medium Material
Name: paint | glaze
Role: support Material
Name: earthenware
Technique Name: throwing
[for a necklace]
Materials/Techniques Description:
gold repoussé work
Role: support Material
Name: gold
Technique Name: repoussé
[for a snuff box]
Materials/Techniques Description:
laminated copper and gold with inlays of shell and mother
of pearl
Role: support Material
Name: copper | gold
Role: support Material
Name: shell | mother of pearl
Technique Name: laminating | inlay | soldering
[for a chest]
Materials/Techniques Description:
maple
Role: support Material
Name: maple
[for a sofa]
Materials/Techniques Description:
oak, veneered with rosewood, bronze mounts; horsehair
upholstery
Role: support Material
Name: oak | rosewood | bronze | horsehair
Technique Name: veneering
For architecture
[for an office building]
Materials/Techniques Description:
steel frame with glass panels
Role: support Material
Name: steel | glass
Technique Name: steel frame | glass curtain
wall
[for a house]
Materials/Techniques Description:
wood frame and adobe, with red tile roof
Extent: frame
..Role: support Material
Name: wood
Extent: walls
..Role: support Material
Name: adobe
Extent: roof
..Role: support Material
Name: tile
Technique Name: wood frame
[for a church]
Materials/Techniques Description:
Greek cross plan, limestone and sandstone, bearing
masonry
Role: support Material
Name: limestone | sandstone
Technique Name: Greek cross plan | load-bearing
walls | vaulting | buttressing
For textiles, clothing
[for a carpet]
Materials/Techniques Description:
wool and silk (pile), cotton (warp and weft), with
symmetrical knots
Extent: pile
..Role: support Material
Name: wool | silk
Extent: warp and weft
..Role: support Material
Name: cotton
Technique Name: weaving | symmetrical knots
[for an apron ]
Materials/Techniques Description:
linen
Role: support Material
Name: linen
Technique Name: weaving | sewing
[for a mola]
Materials/Techniques Description:
cotton appliqué
Role: support Material
Name: cotton
Technique Name: appliqué
[for a vestment]
Materials/Techniques Description:
silk satin with stencil-dyed pattern, embroidered
in gold thread
Role: support Material
Name: silk
Role: medium Material
Name: dye | gold thread
Technique Name: satin weaving | stencil-dyed
| embroidery
[for a coat, color is indexed]
Materials/Techniques Description:
blue Chinese silk with red samite appliqués
Extent: overall
..Role: support Material
Name: Chinese silk Color: blue
..Technique Name: weaving | sewing
Extent: appliqués
..Role: support Material
Name: samite Color: red
For film, video
[for a videotape]
Materials/Techniques Description:
black-and-white videotape with sound
Role: support Material
Name: videotape Color: black-and-white
| sound
[for an animation cel]
Materials/Techniques Description:
nitrate (cels); courvoisier on wood veneer background
Role: support Material
Name: nitrate film | wood veneer
Technique Name: courvoisier
For new media, performance art, installations
[for performance art]
Materials/Techniques Description:
wooden stage, phonograph, one living human actor,
metal chair
Role: support Material
Name: wooden stage
Role: medium Material
Name: phonograph | actor | metal chair
Technique Name: installation | performance
[for an installation]
Materials/Techniques Description:
four-channel video projection with sound
Role: support Material
Name: video | sound | audiovisual equipment
Technique Name: installation | projection
[for a digital image]
Materials/Techniques Description:
digital image
Role: support Material
Name: digital image
[for a Web site]
Materials/Techniques Description:
interactive networked code: Java applet with server
database and servlets
Role: support Material
Name: computer code | digital images | audio
Technique Name: HTML | FLASH | networked |
interactive
For works with parts
[for a lamp]
Materials/Techniques Description:
bronze base; leaded glass shade
Extent: base
..Role: support Material
Name: bronze
Extent: shade
..Role: support Material
Name: lead glass
For a group of works
[for a group of drawings made with different materials]
Materials/Techniques Description:
pen and ink on paper, chalk on paper, tempera on academy
board
1. Role: medium Material
Name: ink
...Role: support Material
Name: paper
...Technique Name: drawing Implement:
pen
2. Role: medium Material
Name: chalk
...Role: support Material
Name: paper
...Technique Name: drawing
3. Role: medium Material
Name: tempera
...Role: support Material
Name: academy board
...Technique Name: painting
For uncertain information in the DESCRIPTION
[for a tray]
Materials/Techniques Description:
probably soft paste porcelain
Role: support Material
Name: soft paste porcelain
[for a portrait painting, tempera is indexed as a material and the
uncertainty is explained in the display; if it were important
to index that the panel painting had been transferred to
canvas, this could have been done by using EXTENT]
Materials/Techniques Description:
oil or oil and tempera on panel transferred to canvas
Role: support
Material Name: panel
| canvas
Role: medium Material Name: oil
| tempera
Technique Name: painting
Revised 28 August 2006
| 
