Inventory catalog
An inventory catalog is a directory created according to scientific standards of the items in a collection , e.g. B. a museum , preserved objects.
definition
An inventory catalog lists the objects kept in a collection, depicts them and provides further information that is relevant for scientific research. In contrast to the catalog raisonné dedicated to a specific artist , which lists all works by an artist regardless of where they are stored, all objects in the collection are named here. Great importance is attached to completeness; it does not matter whether an item is currently on display for visitors or is stored in a magazine .
Due to the size and also the special knowledge of the processor, however, several inventory catalogs are usually created for a larger collection, each dedicated to a certain genre (e.g. all paintings , all sculptures , all etchings, etc.). In the case of very large collections, a distinction can still be made according to epoch (e.g. paintings from the Baroque era , sculptures from the Middle Ages , etc.), there are also inventory catalogs on archaeological objects, arts and crafts , etc.
Inventory catalogs dedicated to certain artists are also created, but presuppose that a collection contains a sufficient number of works by a certain author. Inventory catalogs based on provenance are rarer , listing all items that have come into a collection from the possession of a particular person.
content
Many inventory catalogs are preceded by an introduction that is intended to give an overview of the existing objects and the history of the collection. This is followed by the actual catalog section, which contains the following information on each object:
- Illustration, possibly of the current and previous state, in the case of fragmented objects, possibly a reconstruction drawing
- title
- Material / technology
- Dimensions (H × W × D = height × width × depth)
- Dating
- Inventory number
- Information on the provenance
- if applicable, information on the current storage location
- Literature in which the work was discussed
- Issued by / in
This is usually followed by an explanatory text that describes the object in more detail, provides information on any restorations and / or scientific investigations that have taken place and attempts a general classification and assessment of the object.
The main aim of an inventory catalog is to document the collection items for scientific research. Therefore, it sometimes also contains objects that have been lost in the meantime, the information is provided according to written documents and photographs (if available). In these cases, publication in the inventory catalog can also lead to stolen objects being recognized and returned to retailers, for example. Even pieces whose authenticity is doubtful can often be found in inventory catalogs, whereby the arguments for and against the authenticity are recorded.
Since the catalog reflects the inventory at a certain point in time, it may be necessary to revise it or at least add a supplement that lists newly added items.