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24 October 2026 · Updated at 07:47 GMT FR EN ES Member area Log in
Certification

Form

The headings of the work description form and tips for completing them precisely.

Updated : October 28, 2026· 3 min read

Describing in order to recognise

Boy with Anchor, Winslow Homer (1873)
Boy with Anchor, Winslow Homer (1873)

The description form is the work's identity card. It must allow anyone, years later, to recognise the work unambiguously.

It comprises six blocks: identification, creation, materials, dimensions, signatures and inscriptions, condition and history. Each heading comes with online help and examples.

Precision is the key: a detailed form speeds up the expert assessment and reduces requests for additional documents.

  • Identification
  • Materials
  • Dimensions
  • Signatures

The form in figures

6blocks of headings
38fields in total
12mandatory fields
15 minto complete it

The six blocks

Structure of the form
BlockHeadings
IdentificationTitle, artist or attribution, category, inventory number
CreationDate, place, period, school, series
MaterialsTechnique, support, materials, varnish, frame
DimensionsHeight, width, depth, weight, with and without frame
Signatures and inscriptionsSignature, monogram, labels, stamps, marks
Condition and historyRestorations, accidents, owners, exhibitions

Filling in without error

  1. Stand in front of the work

    Describe what you see, not what you believe.

  2. Measure

    Use a rigid tape measure, take each reading twice.

  3. Photograph the inscriptions

    Attach every signature, label and stamp.

  4. Declare doubts

    Indicate any uncertainty about the attribution or the date.

  5. Reread

    Check the units, the spelling of names, the consistency of dates.

Sweet Melancholy, Joseph-Marie Vien (1756)
Sweet Melancholy, Joseph-Marie Vien (1756)
Flowers in a Glass, Ambrosius Bosschaert (1606)
Flowers in a Glass, Ambrosius Bosschaert (1606)
Letter Box, Ogata Kōrin (1700s)
Letter Box, Ogata Kōrin (1700s)

Declaring restorations

Useful definitions

The words of the form
TermMeaning
AttributionLinking with an artist, without certainty
SupportMaterial on which the work is made (canvas, wood, paper)
TechnologyProcess used (oil, watercolour, lost-wax bronze)
Dimensions without frameSize of the work alone
MonogramArtist's initials used as a signature

Brief or detailed description

Corner Cabinet, René Dubois (c. 1765–1770)

Brief

Minimum admissible
  • Mandatory fields only
  • Longer expert assessment
  • Frequent requests for additional documents

Admissible, but ineffective.

Carved Lacquer Scroll Box (1736–95)

Detailed

Complete description
  • All fields completed
  • Fewer additional documents
  • Prepared expert assessment

Gain of two to three weeks.

Most frequent errors

Inaccurate dimensions31%
Poorly described signature24%
Approximate technique21%
Wrong date14%
Overly assertive attribution10%

Source: Certification Department (indicative).

Case study: an illegible signature

Describing without interpreting

Situation

An applicant reads “Monet” on a half-effaced signature.

Actions
  1. He describes the signature as “illegible, looks like a red signature at bottom right”.
  2. He attaches a sharp close-up.
  3. The expert draws their own conclusions.
Outcome

The case avoids a hasty attribution that would have justified a refusal of admissibility.

A form designed to last

The information entered serves not only for the expert assessment: it feeds the Registry throughout the life of the work. A field badly completed today can make a search impossible in twenty years.

That is why the form favours controlled vocabularies (techniques, supports, categories) and standardised units, rather than free texts that are hard to compare.

Still Life with Vegetables, Partridge, and a Jug, Adolphe-Félix Cals (1858)
Still Life with Vegetables, Partridge, and a Jug, Adolphe-Félix Cals (1858)
Seal with Two Qilin Playing (1849)
Seal with Two Qilin Playing (1849)
Bowl with Chrysanthemums, Seifū Yohei IV (1914–46)
Bowl with Chrysanthemums, Seifū Yohei IV (1914–46)

Before sending the form

On precision

Fish or Seal Club (X’ús’) (late 1800s–early 1900s)
« A good description is recognised by the fact that it lets no neighbouring work slip into it. »
Prof. Hiroshi Tanabe, member of the certification committee

Vocabulary of the description

Frame
Framing of a work, sometimes old and separate.
Registration
Written mention on the work or on its back.
Stamp
Mark of a collection, a dealer or an administration.
Inventory number
Number assigned by a collection.

Frequently asked questions

Can I save the form without finishing it?

Yes, it is saved automatically for 60 days.

Do I have to know the artist?

No. A work by an “unknown artist” is admissible, with a precise description.

Can I correct an error after submission?

Yes, by a request for rectification before the expert is appointed.

Does the form exist in a paper version?

A PDF template can be downloaded, but submission is done online.

Useful documents

Contacts

The Doge's Palace, Venice, Richard Parkes Bonington (1826)
The Doge's Palace, Venice, Richard Parkes Bonington (1826)
Certification DepartmentParis — Headquarters+33 1 00 00 00 00certification@oimap.exampleMonday to Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Attach the documents

Still Life with Peaches, Auguste Renoir (1881)

Move on to the list of documents to attach.

Supporting documents
Image credits (16)
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