It's like giving a card catalog number to a book. So far, all the amphoras that come into the museum will have these first two numbers. Some museums, for example, put numbers on objects that they receive as loans from other museums. But the Semitic Museum only puts numbers on the objects that will be theirs permanently. And that's fine, as long as it work for the institution.
Some people really enjoy labeling the objects with the numbers because it's a fun process.
Sometimes when you exhibit objects, you don't want a big number starting out at you, so the process must be reversible. Let's take our amphora, museum number 1999. When that dries, then we carefully write the number on that spot with a tiny pen or brush, using a type of black ink called India ink. Then we go over it with the glue again, making a little sandwich of sorts. When it's dry, it's all ready.