1. Full Text search
Execute a broad search against the fields in the list below by entering one or more terms in the full-text search field.
Artist
Title
Classification
Culture
Century
Historical Period
Medium/Technique
Credit line
Curatorial Department
Creation Place
Object Number
Description
Commentary
Marks
Provenance
Full Text advanced search features
Search for multiple terms and Boolean searches:
Enter two or more search terms and enclose each in quotation marks. Insert one of the following words between each set of terms: AND, OR, NEAR, NOT
Search examples:
"American" AND "vessels"
Finds all objects where both the terms are somewhere in the object record
"American" OR "vessels"
Finds objects which have EITHER of those terms in their details
"19th century" AND "vessels" NOT "Italian"
Finds all objects with both "19th Century" AND "vessels" associated with them, but excludes any matches on "Italian"
"Male" NEAR "nude"
Finds all objects where the two terms are in proximity to each other. The NEAR search may give you the same results as the AND search in some cases.
Full Text searches only evaluate the "Full Text" term in the search form. To find Collection records matching specific criteria, you may use a combination of the individual search fields described below.
2. Search field descriptions
Artist
Type in all or part of an artist’s name, or click on the alphabet grid to see a list of names of artists in our collection.
Title
Enter a word or phrase (hyphenated words are fine). Searches main title, original language title, and series title.
Object Number
Examples: 1978.247, BR58.203, P2002.12, M4517. If you enter the first part of a number it will find all numbers that begin with that sequence. Related objects are often linked by their object number, e.g.: 1955.95 (sketchbook) and 1955.95.1 (sketchbook page).
Date Range
Enter beginning and end dates, or enter a single date in the first field.
Classification
Pick from the list to find broad categories of objects (jewelry, sculpture, etc.). Use the Full Text search to find subsets (bracelet, statuette, etc.).
Medium/Technique
Pick from the list or use the Full Text search to find terms like "watercolor," "bronze" or "etching."
Century
Hint: A search on "16th-17th Centuries" will not find "16th Century" or "17th Century." You will need to do separate searches.
Historical Period
This field is used primarily by the Ancient, Asian, and Islamic departments.
Culture
Hint: A search on "Italian, Tuscan" will not find "Italian, Tuscan, Florentine" – use the Full Text search to look for all Tuscan cultures.
Creation Place
Pick from the list to find specific geographical locations, including coin mints (note: ancient Greek, Roman, Etruscan, etc. locations are listed under "Ancient and Byzantine World") or use the Full Text search to type in any term. NOTE: not every department uses this field. If your search does not return any results, try searching by Culture.
Searching multiple fields
You can search using multiple fields, e.g. 17th century Flemish Drawings, Ming dynasty Vessels, Etruscan Jewelry, Italian Paintings with "Madonna" in the title.
If the individual search fields below do not find what you are looking for, try the broader Full Text search.
3. Other Useful Collections Search Tools and Components
Lightbox
The Lightbox allows you to make and display a selection of objects. Place records in the Lightbox by clicking the link provided. You can also email your Lightbox or export it to PowerPoint.
Ordering Images
To place an order for images, please click on the "Order Images" link to download the image order form, then print it, fill it out and send the complete form via fax to (617-495-2990) or mail it to:
DIVR
Harvard Art Museum
32 Quincy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Please note most orders take 6-8 weeks for processing.
Last 10 Searches
To look at a past search, click on one of the links, then click the Search button. Hover over a link with your mouse to see a description of your search terms. Your last ten searches will be saved while you are using the website.
Related Works
If there are associated records in our collection (such as pages of a manuscript, prints in a portfolio, a drawing related to a painting, etc.) they can be viewed by clicking this link.
Bibliography
References in which the object has been cited and/or illustrated. Bibliography listings may not be complete; please contact the curatorial department for more information.
Exhibition History
Listing of exhibitions in which the object was displayed. The exhibition history may not be complete; please contact the curatorial department for more information.
Provenance
What we currently know about the history of ownership of the object.
