Page:The museum, (Jackson, Marget Talbot, 1917).djvu/202

172 public and teaching them not only to appreciate beauty but also where to look for beauty. The first essential is to give the name or subject; then, equally important, the fact that it is a PLASTER CAST, and, consequently, where the original is, the artist, his country and date. In some cases the original has been removed from the place it was intended to occupy, and in that case this fact should be mentioned as "Original from Corbeil, France, now in the cathedral St. Denis, France"

Holders provided with glass to protect the label are really essential, as the labels on casts seem to become defaced much more rapidly than those on other objects. Here, again, simplicity of design is the most important requisite. A good type is that used by the Metropolitan Museum and by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. It consists of a narrow frame with square edges provided with a slight projection on two sides for the screws which hold it in place. The label is held firmly within this and can only be removed by taking out the screws.

The color of holder and label should harmonize with the color of the base. The ink used should be black if the label is light in color and white if it is dark. Very dark blue, brown, green or purple ink can sometimes be used with even better effect than black.