Classification of Museum Artefacts
The rich cultural heritage of Bhutan, preserved in its museums, requires a systematic and standardized approach to artifact classification to enhance collection management, research, and accessibility. While Bhutanese museums—such as the National Museum in Paro, the Royal Heritage Museum in Trongsa, and the Textile Museum in Thimphu—have made significant efforts in cataloging their collections, a unified classification system is still needed to ensure consistency, interoperability, and future acquisitions.
This study proposes a structured classification framework consisting of seven major categories and fifty-nine subgroups, designed to encompass all existing and potential artifacts in Bhutanese museums. This classification draws upon international standards, while incorporating locally relevant categories that reflect Bhutanese religious, artistic, and utilitarian traditions. By analyzing existing classification methods used in Bhutan and globally, this model aims to establish a controlled vocabulary, logical hierarchy, and scalable structure adaptable to digital cataloging systems.
The proposed classification addresses key challenges, including terminology, cultural contextualization, and integration with existing museum databases. Its implementation would facilitate better artifact documentation, exhibition planning, and cross-institutional collaboration.
Before driving into new classification, let’s look into existing classification methods used by the museums around the world. For better understanding, i have studied some common classification methods used by museums globally:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/18f_1t8m-kAuy3e44AVGztFM15J_SSOfY/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109549752404950264741&rtpof=true&sd=true