Free Text Search
Free text searches can be performed using the 'Search the Online Collections' box on the right of every page or the 'Free Text Search' boxes in the advanced search.
First enter your text to search for, eg.
- a whole or partial object title or accession number
- a whole or partial maker's or collector's name or nationality
- text that you might find in a description or a biography
Then click the 'Go' button or press return.
General Tips
- Searches are not case sensitive
- By default searches will only return results that match all of your search terms.
There is no need to include "and" between terms.
To restrict a search further, just include more terms.
- If you are having problems finding the work you require try entering just one whole or partial word from the name or title, e.g. try using 'Lucas' instead of 'Frederic Lucas'.
- If the title, artist or place name you are searching for includes special characters such as 'é' you can use the nearest unaccented character or try entering a partial word which does not include that character, e.g. enter 'Honore' not 'Honoré' or try entering 'Honor' instead.
Phrase Searches
Search for complete phrases by enclosing them in quotation marks.
Words enclosed in double quotes ("like this") will appear together in all results exactly as you have entered them.
"AND" Searches
The free text search suppports the logical operator "AND" and its equivalent "+";
however, you do not need to use them as by default searches will only return results that match all of your search terms.
"OR" Searches
To find records that include either word A or word B, use an uppercase OR between terms.
For example, to search for figures of cats or dogs, just type: cats or dogs.
"NOT" Searches
You can exclude a word from your search by putting an uppercase NOT or a minus sign ("-") immediately in front of the term you want to avoid.
For example, to search for figures of cats but not of dogs, just type: cats not dogs.
Advanced Search
The advanced search enables you to place further restrictions on search results.
You can search for an object by:
- entering a whole or partial title.
- entering a whole or partial name for creator or collector.
- selecting a museum locatation, collection and/or theme from those listed.
-
entering a range of years for the creation of the work,
e.g. between 1900 and 2000 for 20th Century, betweeen -6000 and - 5000 for 6th Century BC.
If it is not known when a work was created then the work will not be shown if you enter dates in these fields.
- entering the beginning of an Accession Number.
- entering text in the free text search (see above)
- restricting the results to objects that have images on the site
You can search for a person by:
- entering a whole or partial name.
- selecting a nationality from those listed.
-
entering a range of years that the person was active,
e.g. between 1900 and 2000 for 20th Century, betweeen -6000 and - 5000 for 6th Century BC.
If it is not known when a person was active then the person will not be shown if you enter dates in these fields.
- entering text in the free text search (see above)
The each record returned by an advanced search will match all of the search criteria that you have entered.
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