Yes, and then, if you are using Past Perfect, or a similar database, you can establish a relationship in the database so you 'relate' every item in the set to each other. --- On Sun, 10/7/12, Elizabeth Walton <[log in to unmask]> wrote: From: Elizabeth Walton <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Whole or Parts number? To: [log in to unmask] Date: Sunday, October 7, 2012, 12:07 PM I usually have another level of number for sets, year.accession.#.#A With large sets there may be several things that need components while being part of a set, dishes in particular come to mind, and in the database you want them to be recorded as a set. Clothing is similar as outfits can include shoes, gloves, jewelry... Tea sets will have coffee and tea pots with lids, sugar bowls and lids, If the whole set is .2 then the teapot for instance would be 2.1A and the lid 2.1B sugar bowl would be 2.2A and 2.2B. Plates, cups, etc would then become 2.3, 2.4, 2.5..... On Sun, Oct 7, 2012 at 11:12 AM, James Tichgelaar <[log in to unmask]> wrote: OK, there is some subjectivity. But each cup can be used with each saucer, so there is not a 1:1 match. But I’d give each piece of a chess set a part number. The jacket and dress would get individual numbers with a note in the record of each about the relationship between them. The photo album is tricky, but I prefer to treat an album as a single object and give the photos part numbers to preserve the original organization of the album. Opinions will differ. From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Juetian Luo Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2012 1:34 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Whole or Parts number? Thanks, James for your reply! So basically, items that can function separately each gets a whole number; and parts that cannot function separately on their own get parts number. Correct? However, I thought that a cup that comes with a saucer are not items that can stand on their own? This is where subjectivity can come in. Ok, presuming the cup and saucer are not as subjective. For the jacket and dress example, or even a chess-set, photo album with photos. Are there any guidelines for "subjective" things like such? - Each piece in a chess set gets a part number? - Jacket and dress would be given whole number each? - The photo album and the photos in the album would all be given whole number each? Thanks! On 6 October 2012 11:18, James Tichgelaar <[log in to unmask]> wrote: My rule of thumb has been that if the parts can function separately, each gets a number. A cup and saucer would each get a number. But two things that are used as a whole object with detachable parts (teapot and lid) get –a and –b numbers. I would number your set as: •First cup: 1998-00005-001 •First saucer: 1998-00005-002 •Second cup: 1998-00005-003 •Second saucer: 1998-00005-004 •Pot: 1998-00005-005a •Cover: 1998-00005-005b From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Juetian Luo Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2012 10:53 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Whole or Parts number? Hello to all (Registrars especially), I would like to seek your advise on the following: We are trying to come up with some good guiding principle on when we should assign Part Accession Numbers and when we should assign Whole Accession Numbers to things. E.g., when assigning accession numbers to a teapot set consisting of 2 sets of cup and saucer and a pot with cover, we would assign in the following manner. •First cup: 1998-00005-001 •First saucer: 1998-00005-002 •Second cup: 1998-00005-003 •Second saucer: 1998-00005-004 •Pot: 1998-00005-005 •Cover: 1998-00005-006 However, the marrying of items may sometimes be subjective and context dependent. e.g., if a jacket is always worn with a particular dress by this donor, and the curator decides to put them together as a "default" set, do we then assign each item a whole number or the set as a whole number with parts (i.e., the jacket is part 1, and the dress part 2)? How things could come together extrinsically can sometimes be very subjective, such as the jacket and the dress. The topic was debated at great length at our meeting. Other controversial cases would be photos in an album for example. Does any of you have any such written "numbering" guidelines that we can follow? Basically, we are trying to articulate the rationale of how we should assign numbers so that we can do it in some consistent manner. I am desperate for some good advice! Thanks in advance. 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