The card catalogue of accessions and the accessions book together form the index for these blanks. Gift blanks and blanks for objects offered and not purchased are kept on file.
We come now to identification of the objects themselves. It is customary to use a little paper sticker or a small strung tag for objects loaned to a museum. These stickers have the name of the institution printed upon them and the loan number is written in in ink. Objects temporarily in the museum, as those which are offered for purchase or sent for examination, do not receive any number to identify them. The regular accessions, however, have the number painted on with bright red or black oil color paint, sometimes mixed with siccatif or varnish. Care must be taken that these numbers are so placed as to be as inconspicuous as possible. On paintings, they can be placed upon the back of the canvas or stretcher, on small bronzes, on or under the base, on porcelains, under the base, etc. Laces are marked with tags of linen tape upon which the number is written in indelible ink.
A form of loan or temporary receipt is very necessary in some instances. The Metropolitan uses both. In a smaller museum one is quite sufficient. Forms are given here for both, but most museums will find it sufficient to have only some-
