Build one animal index sheet.
A repeatable museum workflow for form, pose, object type, relationship, source and uncertainty.
The result is not a symbol dictionary. It is a sourced record of one animal form within one complete object.
Minutes 0—10: identify object type
Record museum, case, object, label and inventory number. Decide whether the form belongs to sculpture, votive, amulet, furniture, mummy or another documented category.
Minutes 10—20: make the whole frame
Photograph base, support, associated figures, animal form and current display. Do not begin from the head alone.
Minutes 20—35: map morphology
Record beak or muzzle, ears, body, limbs, wing, tail and pose where visible. Use neutral description and list surfaces hidden by case or mount.
Minutes 35—45: follow relationships
Trace contact with human figures, attributes, crown, inscription and base. Make profile and three-quarter views from permitted positions.
Minutes 45—55: collect sources
Photograph labels and locate the exact official record. Separate visible form, museum identification and wider interpretation.
Minutes 55—60: state limits
List uncertain species, unresolved attributes, glare, crop and unavailable surfaces. Do not complete a familiar divine name from silhouette.
Afterward: build the index sheet
Arrange context, whole, profile, relationship detail, label and source note. Retain masters and document derivatives.
Check comparison scale
Use published dimensions, consistent viewpoints and object type. Similar animal imagery does not imply equivalent function.
Review respectful language
Avoid exoticizing, sensational or universal symbol claims. Animal mummies and remains require especially careful captions.
Test the release
Check phone and desktop crops, image credits, local WebP loading, alt text, source links and one H1 per page.
Add a source hierarchy
Keep direct observation, museum identification, technical study and broader interpretation in separate fields. This prevents a reliable species or deity name from losing its exact source when the sheet is reused.
Control the web crop
Inspect the selected focal point at 360, 768 and 1440 pixels. A responsive layout must not remove the base, associated figure or wrapping that defines the object type.
Archive object and image together
Store inventory number, museum, object title, capture date, creator, rights, filenames, edits and missing views in a portable manifest. Test that one detached detail can reconnect to its whole frame.
Version corrections
When terminology or attribution changes, update the index entry with a dated note while preserving the earlier record. Corrections should be traceable rather than silently replacing the history of the image.
Finish with the claim ladder
Read each caption from visible morphology through object identity to interpretation. Confirm that certainty does not increase without a corresponding source and that every inaccessible surface remains stated.