Letter to a Porcelain Collector: A Standardized Latin Abbreviation System for Art Attribution and Cataloging of Porcelain, Faience, and Ceramics

This paper proposes a concise, standardized Latin-based abbreviation system designed for the attribution, cataloging, and physical description of porcelain, faience, majolica, and structural ceramics. Built upon international documentation standards (CIDOC-CRM, ICOM/UNESCO) and the Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus (AAT), the registry categorizes ceramic masses ([POR], [FAI]), application techniques ([U], [O], [I]), functional artistic roles ([Sc.], [Des.], [Dr.]), and marking color schemes. Beyond standardized codification, the article highlights the operational necessity of an accurate collection registry for contemporary art market interactions, secondary sales, auctioning, and exchange, while serving as a preserved heritage passport for future museum bequests and lineage inheritances.