Six fields, six kinds of evidence.
Read them separately before turning a compact label into a complete story.
The object name is a working doorway
A short title helps you enter the case, but it can compress function, identity and uncertainty.
Decode field →02MATERIAL + TECHNIQUEMaterial words contain a sequence
Wood, stone, bronze or textile is only the beginning; technique shows how substance became evidence.
Decode field →03DATE + PERIODA date is a range with a method behind it
Dynasty, reign, century and archaeological phase answer different chronological questions.
Decode field →04PLACE + PROVENANCEPlace must be more specific than Egypt
Production, use, findspot and present museum are different locations connected by evidence.
Decode field →05INVENTORY NUMBERThe smallest code opens the largest archive
An accession or inventory number is the durable bridge between label, database, image and research history.
Decode field →06QUALIFIERSProbably is part of the evidence
Question marks, ranges and cautious verbs preserve the boundary between observation and attribution.
Decode field →Copy before paraphrasing
Exact wording preserves distinctions that polished notes often erase: ‘from,’ ‘probably,’ ranges, brackets and institutional codes. Transcription is not passive; it establishes what the museum actually claims.
Keep three voices visible
Use separate markings for direct observation, museum information and later research. Agreement strengthens an account, while difference becomes a documented question rather than a hidden edit.
Labels have limits by design
Space, audience and gallery mission shape what appears. Use the inventory number for deeper technical or provenance research instead of expecting one panel to contain a catalogue.