About

Contents of the database

The NCMA is home to more than 4,000 works of art and material culture, classified into eight major collections: African; American; Ancient American; Ancient Greek, Italian, and Roman; Ancient Egyptian; European; Judaic; and 20th and 21st Century. Ninety-nine percent of the collection is accessible in the online database.

Collection research is a core mission of the NCMA and is always ongoing. We strive to improve object descriptions and update provenances, object histories, bibliographic references, and other data on a regular basis. In some cases our online records are incomplete or in the process of being revised. Occasionally non-NCMA researchers discover new information related to Museum objects. If you have information that seems to be missing from our records, we welcome feedback. Information on provenance research at the NCMA can be found on the Provenance Research page.

Individual records indicate whether a particular work is on view. If a work is not on view, it is in storage, undergoing study, or on loan to another institution. Similarly, an image may be shown as not available if it is not yet in our database or if it cannot be displayed for copyright reasons.

Search features

The predetermined curatorial and thematic groupings provide quick access to users who wish to browse the collections. For more targeted queries, use the Search the collection bar to input criteria such as keyword, maker name, culture, date, or subject matter. Results can be refined according to maker/culture, classification (materials or media), or date.

Click the Advanced Search link to access a page with multiple searchable fields and scroll-down menus. The tabs Objects and Makers | Cultures provide different sets of search criteria. In neither case is it necessary to fill in all of the fields.

Additional tips on searching the collection can be found on the Help page.