An object under treatment is a promise kept in public: identified as accessioned, examined element by element, treated only on an approved proposal. This record is the file the department reads before it touches the object.
Identity, as accessioned
The identity record is typed once and cited everywhere. The accession number never changes after filing.
Accession 1978.204.17
Object Amphora, red-figure
Maker unrecorded
Date c. 460 BCE, filed 1978
Medium terracotta, pigment
Dimensions H 42.3 cm, D 28.1 cm
Credit Halbrook bequest, 1978
Fig. 1.1 — the identity record, as accessioned. Numbers are assigned at filing and retired, never reused.
The department reads the last examination before it acts. Condition is filed element by element; a failed element carries its finding, and the finding carries its action.
Elements examined, exam E-2026-041
4
Findings open
1
4 elements examined. 1 finding open.
| No. | Element | Examined | Condition | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-1 | Body | 2026-07-09 | Surface sound; pigment stable | Stable |
| C-2 | Rim | 2026-07-09 | Old fill intact | Stable |
| C-3 | Proper left handle join | 2026-07-09 | Active flaking at the join | Failed |
| Finding: the proper left handle join shows active flaking. Action: consolidate before any handling. | ||||
| C-4 | Foot | 2026-07-09 | Hairline crack, unchanged since 2019 | Monitor |
Fig. 2.0 — condition, exam E-2026-041. Statuses are words in ink; red is reserved for the finding.
Approve the proposal before the bench opens. An unapproved treatment cannot cite its authority; the review records who decided, and when.
Treatment proposal
Treatment TR-9
Object 1978.204.17
Conservator D. Imrie
Proposed 2026-07-14
Method consolidate the join, then
rejoin with reversible adhesive
Approval state In review
Fig. 3.1 — the proposal awaits its review. Approval is given in the projection room, and completion is confirmed by the date stamp.
Materials file like policies: coded, counted, and current. A treatment cites its materials the way a rule cites its section.
| No. | Material | Lot | Quantity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M-1 | Paraloid B-72, in acetone | L-2404 | 250 ml | On hand |
| M-2 | Japanese tissue, kozo | L-2391 | 4 sheets | On hand |
| M-3 | Deionized water | L-2410 | 500 ml | On hand |
| M-4 | Cotton swabs, wood shaft | L-2377 | 100 | On order |
Fig. 4.0 — materials for TR-9, latest entries. Figures typed, flush right; quantities are stated as filed.