About the Collection database online

The Museum’s entire digitised database to date can be found here. New records and images are being added every week.

When complete the database will contain a record of every object in the Museum collection, with associated conservation and scientific reports where available.

The information in the records is made available in its entirety. Only prices paid, personal addresses and the names of some individual Museum staff have been withheld.

About these records

The database is an inventory of the Museum’s collection and aims to record what is known about it. It is primarily designed to support curatorial and research work, and much of the text is specialised in nature and terminology.

The database is the result of 30 years work but is still in its early stages. We are continuing every day to improve the information recorded in it and changes are being fed through on a regular basis.In many cases it does not yet represent the best available knowledge about the objects. This is being added as fast as possible, but will take many years.

Information held on it, therefore, needs to be read with care. There may be mistakes and omissions and in some cases British Museum staff may not have checked an entry. In many cases they will have more information that they will add in the future.

Users are invited to use the feedback link on each record to help us improve the information.

Citation

If you wish to cite any of the records in this database, please use the following format:

<Author>, <“object registration number”>, www.britishmuseum.org/collection. British Museum, <Date last modified>.Online. <Access date>.

For example:

British Museum Collection Database.  “RPK,p146B.1” www.britishmuseum.org/collection, British Museum, last modified 23/01/2010. Online. Accessed 22/03/2010.

To cite conservation or scientific records, please use:

<Author(s)>, <Title>, <report identifier number>, Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, British Museum (year) (unpublished), URL (Accessed on <date>)

More information about conservation and science records

Image: Michelangelo, a nude young man, to front, looking to right., beckoning