Good documentation makes an object easier to understand without making its provenance larger than the evidence. The checklist follows the work, the condition and the rights record together.
Record the object
Title, dimensions, materials, date text, technique as supported, condition note and image credit give a reader a stable starting point. An empty field is better than an invented detail.
- Keep the object ID
- Name the material
- State what is unknown
Caption the image honestly
A photograph can show a fold, seam or edge. It cannot quietly supply a maker biography, market value or authenticity claim. Rights and attribution should travel with the image.
- Keep rights visible
- Describe the view
- Do not overstate provenance
