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7 Materials/Techniques🔺

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 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 term wood, you will have to enter both the specific term poplar and the broader context wood in the work record to achieve adequate retrieval.

Exhaustivity refers to the 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 subcategory. For example, indicate 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 is required. Providing access to this information by 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 the category. Detailed scientific examination of the work can be described in the category. Physical changes that took place after the object or work was created or manufactured should also be recorded under , except for those resulting from conservation or restoration treatment, which should be recorded in . Specific patterns or shapes formed with the materials should be noted in the category .

The information in the subcategories of 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.

7.1. Materials/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/Marks (8).

EXAMPLES

  • oil on canvas []
  • egg-tempera paint with tooled gold-leaf halos on panel []
  • oil or oil and tempera on panel transferred to canvas []
  • distemper (thin washes of pigment in animal glue) on linen []
  • pen and brown ink and black chalk on paper [] []
  • silverpoint, with white heightening, on silver-gray prepared paper
  • red and black chalk and brown and reddish wash, squared in black chalk []
  • 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 []
  • bronze
  • iron, artificially oxidized
  • Carrara marble on granite base
  • engraved and polished dark green agate []
  • 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 []
  • gilded maple
  • painted and glazed earthenware
  • soft-paste porcelain, colored enamel decoration, gilding []
  • 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 [] [], 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 []).

TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT

Free-text: This is not a controlled field. Index the materials and techniques in the subcategories described below.

RELATED CATEGORIES and ACCESS

In order to have access to the information in this description, index this free-text note with the other subcategories. If multiple parts of the work require separate materials and techniques or if you are recording media and support separately, repeat the 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.

7.2. Materials/Techniques Flag

DEFINITION

Flag used to distinguish materials from techniques.

EXAMPLES

  • material
  • technique/implement

DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES

Optional: Use a flag to indicate if the indexing term refers to a material or to a technique/implement. Use lower case.

Materials are physical materials of which the work is composed, including both the media and any support to which the media are applied (e.g., ink and paper are materials). Techniques/Implements are the activities or tools used in the creation process (e.g., engraving is a technique and burin is an implement).

TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT

Controlled list: Use controlled terms material and technique/implement.

7.3. Materials/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 typically will comprise a relatively short list, you may control this subcategory with a simple controlled list. Alternatively, link it to the .

Use controlled vocabularies such as: 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.

7.4. Materials/Techniques Role

DEFINITION

The role indicating if the terms refer to the medium or support for materials, or to a technique or implement for techniques/implements.

EXAMPLES

  • medium
  • support
  • technique
  • implement

DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES

Optional: These flags refer to the indexing terms that are being entered for technique, medium, and support.

For materials, 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.

  • 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 support, rather than medium.

  • 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™, 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).

For techniques/implements, record an indication of whether the terms refer to the technique (e.g., drawing, engraving ) or the implement (e.g., pen, burin).

Form and syntax

Use lower case.

TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT

Controlled list: Use the following terms: medium, support, technique, implement.

7.5. Materials/Techniques Name

DEFINITION

For materials, the names of the matter, material, or substance used to create the work of art or architecture. For techniques/implements, the names of the means, method, process, or technique by which a material was used in the creation of a work, or the name of any implement or tool used to create the work using the process or technique.

EXAMPLES

  • For materials:

    • 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™
    • Foam-Cor™
    • burlap sacking
    • deer bone
    • cinnabar
    • amethyst
    • fiberglass
    • Formica™
    • the artist

  • For techniques/implements:

    • drawing []
    • painting []
    • sculpting [‘fig-11’ %]
    • lost wax
    • stumping
    • pricking
    • carving
    • intaglio []
    • 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 []
    • assemblage
    • chromogenic color process
    • half-timber construction
    • balloon frame
    • wattle and daub
    • board and batten construction
    • prefabrication
    • 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: Record terms indexing the technique used to create the work or implements used to carry out the technique and apply media. It is optional, but highly recommended, to record the matter, materials, or substances utilized in creating the work of art or architecture, and 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. If the implement is not apparent from the materials used, record the implement (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).

Index all techniques, implements, 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; use stylograph rather than the more general pen, 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) in .

Form and syntax

For materials and implements, typically use singular nouns. For techniques, 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 processes or techniques 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 . Sources of controlled terminology include the following: AAT (especially the Materials hierarchy, Processes and Techniques, and Tools and Equipment hierarchies), Revised Nomenclature, ACRL/RBMS Binding Terms, CRL/RBMS Paper Terms, the Index of Jewish Art, and the British Archaeological Thesaurus.

7.6. 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 common vocabulary used to describe color may be vague. It is recommended to compare the work to a standard color chart in order to achieve consistency in this information.

If the color has iconographic or symbolic meaning, record it also in the category.

TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT

Authority: Control this subcategory with the , which can be populated with terminology from the AAT Color hierarchy, particularly using descriptors for color names that are drawn from the Universal Color Language (UCL, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards) or the Munsell color system.

7.7. 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 .

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 , which can be populated with terminology from the TGN and LCSH.

7.8. Watermarks

DEFINITION

The 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 , 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 described below.

7.8.1 Watermark Identification

DEFINITION

An identification of the watermark type of 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 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 an authority of watermarks rather than a controlled list. In an authority, the and 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:

7.8.2. Watermark 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 .

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 and subcategories.

7.8.2.1. 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 .

Form and syntax

Always record years in the proleptic Gregorian calendar in the indexing dates fields. It is optional to record ; however, if you record a value here, you must also record . For rules, see .

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.

7.8.2.2. Latest Date

DEFINITION

The latest date on which the watermark was used.

EXAMPLES

  • 1646
  • 1762

DISCUSSION and GUIDELINES

Optional: Record the latest year indicated by the display .

Form and syntax

Always record years in the proleptic Gregorian calendar in the indexing dates fields. It is optional to record ; however, if you record a value here, you must also record . For rules, see .

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.

7.9. Performance 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
  • tanding
  • 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 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 .

TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT

Authority: Control this subcategory with the , 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.

7.10. Remarks

DEFINITION

Additional notes or comments pertinent to the 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 .

FORMAT/TERMINOLOGY

Free-text: This is not a controlled field. Use consistent syntax and format.

7.11. 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 .

TERMINOLOGY/FORMAT

Authority: Ideally, this information is controlled by citations in the citations authority; see .

7.11.1. 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 pages, see .

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
      Flag: material Role: medium Name: oil paint
      Flag: material Role: support Name: linen canvas
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique Name: painting

  • For an altarpiece:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 egg-tempera paint with tooled gold-leaf halos on panel
      Flag: material Role: medium Name: egg tempera | gold leaf
      Flag: material Role: support Name: wood panel
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: painting | gold tooling

  • For a mural:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 fresco
      Flag: material Name: fresco
      Flag: technique/implement Name: fresco painting

  • For a painting on canvas:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 oil on canvas, applied with brush and palette knife
      Flag: material Role: medium Name: oil paint
      Flag: material Role: support Name: canvas
      Flag: technique/implement Role: implement
      Name: brush | palette knife

For drawings, watercolors, prints, photographs:

  • For a drawing:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 silverpoint with chalk heightening on prepared paper
      Flag: material Role: medium Name: chalk
      Flag: material Role: support Name: prepared paper
      Flag: technique/implement Role: 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
      Flag: material Role: medium Name: ink Color: black
      Flag: material Role: medium Name: chalk Color: brown
      Flag: material Role: support Name: laid paper Color: ivory
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: drawing
      Flag: technique/implement Role: implement
      Name: 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)
      Flag: material Role: medium Name: sepia
      Flag: material Role: support Name: laid paper
      Watermark: star in circle with cross (Briquet 6088)
      Flag: technique/implement Role: 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
      Flag: material Role: medium Name: watercolor
      Flag: material Role: support Name: Arches™ paper
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: painting

  • For a modern print:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 lithograph
      Flag: material Role: medium Name: ink
      Flag: material Role: support Name: paper
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: lithograph

  • For a manuscript illumination:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 etching, burin and drypoint on vellum
      Flag: material Role: medium Name: ink
      Flag: material Role: support Name: vellum
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique Name: etching | drypoint
      Flag: technique/implement Role: implement
      Name: burin

  • For a photograph:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 albumen print
      Flag: material Role: support Name: albumen paper
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: photography

  • For a photograph:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 glycerine-developed platinum print
      Flag: material Role: support Name: platinum paper
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: glycerine process | photography

For sculpture, three-dimensional objects:

  • For a modern sculpture:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 bronze
      Flag: material Role: support Name: bronze
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: lost-wax process

  • For an 19th-century sculpture:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 white Carrara marble on gray granite base
      Extent: statue
      Flag: material Role: support Name: Carrara marble Color: white
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: carving
      Extent: base
      Flag: material Role: support Name: granite
      Color: gray
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: carving

  • For an African mask:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 painted wood, with raffia, metal, and kaolin
      Flag: material Role: medium Name: raffia | metal | kaolin | paint
      Flag: material Role: support Name: wood
      Technique Name: carving | sewing | gluing | painting

For manuscripts/books:

  • For a pamphlet:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 letterpress on pale yellow paper
      Flag: material Role: support Name: paper
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: letterpress printing

  • For a rare book:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 etchings on paper, casebound
      Flag: material Role: medium Name: ink
      Flag: material Role: support Name: paper
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: etching | case binding

  • For a manuscript:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 ink and tempera on vellum (illuminations), leather and silver (binding)
      Extent: folios/illuminations
      Flag: material Role: medium Name: ink | tempera
      Flag: material Role: support Name: vellum
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: calligraphy | painting
      Extent: binding
      Flag: material Role: support Name: leather | silver

For ceramics, glass, jewelry, ojets d’art, furniture:

  • For a bowl:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 terracotta
      Flag: material Role: support Name: terracotta
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: coiling

  • For a vase:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 free-blown glass
      Flag: material Role: support Name: free-blown glass

  • For an amphora; repeat “Black-figure” in :

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 terracotta with Black-figure painting
      Flag: material Role: support Name: terracotta
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: throwing | vase painting | sintering | Black-figure

  • For a pedestal plate:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 painted and glazed earthenware
      Flag: material Role: medium Name: paint | glaze
      Flag: material Role: support Name: earthenware
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: throwing

  • For a necklace:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 gold repoussé work
      Flag: material Role: support Name: gold
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: repoussé

  • For a snuff box:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 laminated copper and gold with inlays of shell and mother of pearl
      Flag: material Role: support Name: copper | gold
      Flag: material Role: support Name: shell | mother of pearl
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: laminating | inlay | soldering

  • For a chest:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 maple
      Flag: material Role: support Name: maple

  • For a sofa:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 oak, veneered with rosewood, bronze mounts; horsehair upholstery
      Flag: material Role: support Name: oak | rosewood | bronze | horsehair
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: veneering

For architecture:

  • For an office building:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 steel frame with glass panels
      Flag: material Role: support Name: steel | glass
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: steel frame | glass curtain wall

  • For a house:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 wood frame and adobe, with red tile roof
      Extent: frame
      Flag: material Role: support Name: wood
      Extent: walls
      Flag: material Role: support Name: adobe
      Extent: roof
      Flag: material Role: support Name: tile
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: wood frame

  • For a church:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 Greek cross plan, limestone and sandstone, bearing masonry
      Flag: material Role: support Name: limestone | sandstone
      Flag: technique/implement Role: 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
      Flag: material Role: support Name: wool | silk
      Extent: warp and weft
      Flag: material Role: support Name: cotton
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: weaving | symmetrical knots

  • For an apron:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 linen
      Flag: material Role: support Name: linen
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: weaving | sewing

  • For a mola:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 cotton appliqué
      Flag: material Role: support Name: cotton
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: appliqué

  • For a vestment:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 silk satin with stencil-dyed pattern, embroidered in gold thread
      Flag: material Role: support Name: silk
      Flag: material Role: medium Name: dye | gold thread
      Flag: technique/implement Role: 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
      Flag: material Role: support Name: Chinese silk Color: blue
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique Name: weaving | sewing
      Extent: appliqués
      Flag: material Role: support Name: samite
      Color: red

For film, video:

  • For a videotape:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 black-and-white videotape with sound
      Flag: material Role: support Name: videotape
      Color: black-and-white | sound

  • For an animation cel:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 nitrate (cels); courvoisier on wood veneer background
      Flag: material Role: support Name: nitrate film | wood veneer
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique Name: courvoisier

For new media, performance art, installations:

  • For performance art:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 wooden stage, phonograph, one living human actor, metal chair
      Flag: material Role: support Name: wooden stage
      Flag: material Role: medium Name: phonograph | actor | metal chair
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: installation | performance

  • For an installation:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 four-channel video projection with sound
      Flag: material Role: support Name: video | sound | audiovisual equipment
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique
      Name: installation | projection

  • For a digital image:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 digital image
      Flag: material Role: support Name: digital image

  • For a Web site:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 interactive networked code: Java applet with server database and servlets
      Flag: material Role: support Name: computer code | digital images | audio
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique Name: HTML | FLASH | networked | interactive

For works with parts:

  • For a lamp:
    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 bronze base; leaded glass shade
      Extent: base
      Flag: material Role: support Name: bronze
      Extent: shade
      Flag: material Role: support 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
      Flag: material Role: medium Name: ink
      Flag: material Role: support Name: paper
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique Name: drawing
      Flag: technique/implement Role: implement Name: pen
      Flag: material Role: medium Name: chalk
      Flag: material Role: support Name: paper
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique Name: drawing
      Flag: material Role: medium Name: tempera
      Flag: material Role: support Name: academy board
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique Name: painting

For uncertain information in the :

  • For a tray:

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 probably soft paste porcelain
      Flag: material Role: support 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 :

    • Materials/Techniques Description:🔺 oil or oil and tempera on panel transferred to canvas
      Flag: material Role: support Name: panel | canvas
      Flag: material Role: medium Name: oil | tempera
      Flag: technique/implement Role: technique Name: painting

NOTE: 🔺 indicates a core CDWA category.

Revised 2 January 2024
by Emily Benoff

Notes

  1. Joseph Beuys. The Pack, 1969 (Collection Herbig, Germany), in Robert Hughes, Shock of the New: Art and the Century of Change. London: British Broadcasting Corporation, 1980, 383. ↩︎

  2. Maurice Nadeau. History of Surrealism. New York: Penguin Books, 1967, 62-63; Edward Lucie-Smith. Art Today. Oxford: Phaidon, 1977, 392. ↩︎

  3. Canadian Centre for Architecture, “Watermark,” in Collections Documentation Guide. Montréal: Canadian Centre for Architecture, 1993. ↩︎

  4. Ibid. ↩︎

  5. Prints by Paolo Posi depicting “Designs for the Chinea of 1760: Chinoiserie,” in Cara D. Denison, Myra Nan Rosenfeld, and Stephanie Wiles, Exploring Rome: Piranesi and His Contemporaries. New York: Pierpont Morgan Library; Montréal: Canadian Centre for Architecture, 1993, cat. no. 10, 16. ↩︎