3.5. Associative Relationships

Associative relationships to other work records in CONA, including various types of important ties or connections between works, but excluding hierarchical relationships.

Values to represent the related entity in displays may be concatenated automatically, using the preferred name and other information from the linked record.

The same standard general references that are appropriate for the Descriptive Note may be used to determine which works are related. See 3.4 Descriptive Note.

Link to works that have a direct relationship to the work of art or architecture being cataloged, particularly when the relationship may not be otherwise apparent from other categories. For example, works that are by the same artist or have the same subject need not be listed as related works unless there is a more direct relationship; however, when one of these works is preparatory for another, this special relationship should be recorded.

Separate Records

Ideally, separate records will be made for each related work, and the records will be linked. If the cataloging institution does not hold both objects, it may instead choose to make a reference to the related work in the Descriptive Note, but not a link to a separate record in Related Works. Over time, it is hoped that this will be remedied by researchers and users who create records and make links to aid discovery and access.

Only clear and direct relationships should be recorded. These direct relationships are typically current, but occasionally may be historical.

Given that associative relationships are used in retrieval to connect works linked in important ways, do not frivolously make links between Related Works. Relationships should be made only between records that are directly related, but where hierarchical relationships are inappropriate.

• Example:

  • For a carpet in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
    Relationship Type: mate of
    Related Work: Ardabil Carpet; Maqsud of Kashan (Persian, active mid-16th century); 1540; Victoria and Albert Museum (London, England); 272-1893

Hierarchical Relationship or Associative Relationship?

Ideally, works that are related as siblings having a whole/part relationship to a parent (broader context) should be linked through hierarchical relationships. Examples of such siblings would be members of the same set or parts of the same historical whole.

However, if a record for the parent is not available in the data, the siblings may be linked to each other through associative relationships instead. Why must this happen? Often the record for the parent is not provided by a contributor, thus the hierarchical relationship cannot be made. This occurs for many reasons: when the repository itself does not maintain whole/part relationships in their data, when the whole/part relationship is historical, when the sibling to the contributed work is in another repository, or when the parent is a series or other conceptual, non-physical entity that is not recorded by the repository.

Siblings may be linked through associative relationships in CONA when necessary. Note that over time, the associative relationship may be deleted, replaced with a more appropriate hierarchical relationship where a parent is created and linked to its children (siblings of each other) as whole/part.

Optional: Add an associative relationship, linking to a Related Work when necessary, if warranted by a situation described in 3.5.2 Relationship Type below.

Make links to Related Works when it is important to the end-user to have a cross-reference to the other works and when the works are directly related to each other but they do not have a hierarchical relationship.

Preparatory Works

Record all temporal relationships reflected in works that are preparatory for other works, including studies, models, or other works that are steps in the creative process. Examples include a compositional study for a painting and the finished painting, a design drawing for a building and the finished building, or a model and the bronze sculpture cast from it.

• Example:

  • For a design drawing by Benjamin Latrobe.
    Relationship Type: preparatory for
    Related Work: White House (Washington, DC, USA); presidential residence; 1792-1817

Paired Works

Record all works that have or were meant to have direct spacial relationships, such as when two or more works were created to hang together as pendants or a pair, for example, portraits of George and Martha Washington painted by Gilbert Stuart and intended as pendants.

Sets and Other Groups of Works

Ideally a separate record for the whole should be made when works form parts of the same set or group, or are or were parts of the same whole. To this separate record for the whole, the parts or members should be linked as hierarchical children (whole/part narrower contexts) rather than as associative relationships; see 3.1 Hierarchical Relationships.

However, if contributed data for the works does not include this hierarchical relationship, or if the whole to which the parts belonged cannot be identified (e.g., pottery shards), the individual parts or sibling members should be linked to each other using associative relationships.

Reproductive relationships

Record reproductive relationships such as copies after other works, for example, Rubens’ copy of Titian’s Bacchanal (Prado, Madrid) or George Baxter’s nineteenth-century print of Raphael’s Descent from the Cross.

Do not link works through associative relationships if one work merely references the other; instead, use depicted subject to make the connection. For example, with Marcel Duchamp’s “visual quotation” of the Mona Lisa, there should be a link to Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa as a subject of the Ducham painting, not through associative relationships.

Works Depicting Other Works

Works that are depicted in other works should be linked through Associative Relationships only in rare cases.

If the works are important in the creation process, they should be linked through associative relationships.

If the works are themselves works of art that document the depicted work in a particularly important historical context, they may be linked through associative relationships.

In most cases, the work depicted, when not part of the creation process, should be linked through Specific Depicted Subject rather than associative relationships.

For visual surrogates, reproductive prints, or photographs considered works of art, link to the work depicted through associative relationships only if the image is an important document recording the history or construction of the work depicted. In almost all cases, such links should be made through Specific Depicted Subject rather than associative relationships.

If the work is a visual surrogate but not itself a work of art in its own right, place the record in the Visual Surrogates facet and link to the depicted work through Specific Depicted Subject.

Relationships to Historical Works

Associative relationships may be used to record relationships to both current and historical works, including lost or destroyed works, such as an original Greek sculpture known only through Roman copies, or a lost model-book that provided the source for an image found in many versions.

Former Relationships

Other than the few critically important specialized relationships in the list below (e.g., formerly identified with), former relationships between works should be indicated by use of the Historical Flag.

Possible Relationships

Other than the few critically important specialized relationships in the list below (e.g., possibly identified with), relationships that are only considered possible should be usually noted only in the Descriptive Note. If the relationship is important and held to be true by notable scholars, the works may be linked with appropriate Associative Relationships, with an explanation of the status as probable in the Descriptive Note.

Indirect Relationships

Do not link works that clearly have only indirect (or extrinsic) relationships. Typically, it will be sufficient to discuss these relationships in the Descriptive Note. These indirect relationships include when one work supplies stylistic inspiration for another, for example, Van Gogh’s works were inspired by the works of Rembrandt and Delacroix; the dome of the U.S. Capitol Building was inspired by the dome of Saint Peter’s in Rome.

If one work is depicted in a minor or indirect way in another work, do not link them through the reciprocal Associative Relationships. Instead, consider if the work should be linked in a one-way relationship through Depicted Subject.

Consider the benefits in automated retrieval: Will retrieving both works be meaningful, or will it be confusing and provide irrelevant results to end users? For example, if a painting depicts a sculpture among many other objects within the context of a genre scene, it is probably not practical or helpful to link the painting and the sculpture through associative relationships. However, the sculpture could be linked as a depicted subject of the painting.

A phrase characterizing the relationship between the work at hand and the linked concept.

Values are chosen from an extensible controlled list comprising a code and phrase. Each code-plus-phrase is linked to another code, which is the reciprocal relationship. Relationships are sometimes symmetrical, where the same relationship applies to both sides of the link.

It is required to include a Relationship Type for each Related Work.

Choose a specific suitable Relationship Type, if possible. Use the broad related to as a default if a more specific relationship is not appropriate.

Link to the Correct Side of the Relationship

Remember that Relationship Types are reciprocal (that is, linked to both records). When you choose a Relationship Type, make sure that the Relationship Type and its counterpart will work from the points of view of both linked records.

For example, if you are in the record for drawing that is the study for a painting and you want to link to the painting, you should use 4115 / study for. In the painting record, the link to the drawing will then appear as the reciprocal relationship, 4116 / study is.

• 4115 | study for | 4116
  4116 | study is | 4115

Test

The Relationship Type should make sense in a string or phrase like the following one, where the focus record is the one you are editing and the target record is the one to which you are linking:

Focus Record - Relationship Type - Target Record
drawing - [is] study for - painting

Avoid Redundant Relationships

Link a work to another work only once. If multiple relationships apply between the two, choose the predominant or most important relationship.

Apply Relationship Types according to the definitions below.

The relationship type list is extensible and frequently updated. As of this writing, the values below comprise the list.

List of Relationship Types

• related to: General designation for relationships, where works are related, but no specific relationship is known or appropriate.

  • possibly related to and formerly related to: May be used to indicate in a general way any of various possible or former relationships.

  • associated with: May be used for an indirect relationship between two works, where the indirect relationship is important. Note that related to means that there is a direct relationship between two works, while associated with means that there is an indirect relationship between two works.

    • 4000 | related to | 4000
      4011 | possibly related to | 4011
      4012 | formerly related to | 4012
      4002 | associated with | 4002

• miscellaneous: Do not use. This is reserved primarily to serve as the temporary default for problematic data loads.

  • 4001 | miscellaneous | 4001

• distinguished from: Use for linking two works that are commonly confused with one another, often in a historical context. For example, use where a documented work is often confused with an extant work.

  • possibly identified with and formerly identified with: May be used for possible and former identifications. An example would be when a documented work was formerly identified with an extant work, but now the association is no longer accepted by the scholarly community; the works were formerly identified with each other.

    • 4100 | distinguished from | 4100
      4101 | possibly identified with | 4101
      4102 | formerly identified with | 4102

• alternative reconstruction: Refers to a reconstruction of a disassembled or destroyed work which is not the only possible reconstruction; the multiple reconstructions are linked to each other. Parts of the work may be linked to each reconstruction through non-preferred hierarchical relationships whole/part. For example, there may be two possible reconstructions of a lost altarpiece by Bartolo di Fredi; the reconstructions are linked to each other as alternative reconstruction, and the extant panels are each cataloged as separate works directly under Movable Works, and linked to each reconstruction non-preferred hierarchical parents.

  • alternative design: Refers to a design for a work, where there is one or more other designs for the same work.

    • 4103 | alternative reconstruction | 4103
      4605 | alternative design | 4605

• same composition: Refers to works that are created by the same artist or studio, and have identical or very similar appearances or compositions. For example, a Renaissance painter’s workshop may have produced multiple paintings of a portrait of the king, where all have basically the same composition.

  • 4104 | same composition | 4104

• preparatory for / based on: Rather general designation, indicating one work was done in preparation for another. An example would be when a design drawing or a working drawing is preparatory in the creation of a built work. In this example, the precise purpose, such as working drawing or design drawing, should be indexed in Specific Depicted Subject.

  • 4111 | preparatory for | 4112
    4112 | based on | 4111

• study for / study is: Refers to works in any medium of the visual arts that explore a subject or are preliminary to a separate, more finalized work. For example, a study by Ingres for the hands of a sitter may be linked to the finished painting.

  • 4115 | study for | 4116
    4116 | study is | 4115

• prototype for / prototype is: Refers to works that serve as the working prototype for the production of subsequent copies. For example, a glass vessel to be produced by a Murano glass manufactory would first be designed as a prototype.

  • 4117 | prototype for | 4118
    4118 | prototype is | 4117

• cartoon for / cartoon is: Refers to full-size preparatory drawings made for the purpose of transferring a design to the working surface for another work. For example, designs for frescoes by Raphael were drawn on a paper cartoon, and the outlines transferred to the wall for painting.

  • 4121 | cartoon for | 4122
    4122 | cartoon is | 4121

• model for / model is: Refers to a scaled representation of another work, usually three-dimensional and usual preparatory. For example, porcelain figures are typically worked out first as models, from which molds are made; the dome of St. Peter’s in Rome was produced as a scale model as part of the process of having the project approved.

  • from same model: Refers to two or more works that are related to each other by virtue of having been based on the same model.

    • 4125 | model for | 4126
      4126 | model is | 4125
      4243 | from same model | 4243

• plan for / plan is: Refers to works comprising a formal concept of the layout of spaces and elements of another work. They may be preparatory, or done as a record after construction. An example would be a floorplan of the Bastille in Paris. Examples may include not only orthographic projections of buildings, but other sorts of plans as well.

  • 4131 | plan for | 4132
    4132 | plan is | 4131

• original work is / counterproof from: Refers to a work comprising an impression taken from an original work, usually a print or drawing, but sometimes textual works as well. For example, a counterproof may be pressed from an original chalk drawing by Watteau, creating a lighter and mirror-image copy; a fresh sheet of paper may be placed on a printed image or text and run through the press again, to make a counterproof copy.

  • 4133 | original work is | 4134
    4134 | counterproof from | 4133

• printing plate/block for / printed from plate/block: Refers to works comprising flat, or nearly flat, surfaces from which textual or pictorial works are printed. For example, an Edo-era wooden block made may still exist from which extant Japanese prints were printed.

  • 4135 | printing plate/block for | 4136
    4136 | printed from plate/block | 4135

• printed from same plate/block: Refers to multiples comprising textual or pictorial works that were printed from the same plate, block, or other flat surface. For example, Edo-era prints printed from the same block may be linked to each other.

  • 4137 | printed from same plate/block | 4137

• negative for / printed from negative: Refers to photographic negatives in which the tones or colors are reversed, usually on a transparent support, intended for the purpose of producing positive prints. For example, a negative from Ansel Adams may still exist, and can be linked to photographic prints made from it.

  • 4141 negative for | 4142
    4142 | printed from negative | 4141

• from same negative: Refers to multiples in the form of photographic prints, that were printed from the same negative photograph. The prints made from a single Ansel Adams negative may be linked to each other.

  • 4143 | printed from same negative | 4143

• positioned/located with/near: Rather general designation, indicating that one work is positioned or located with or near another; use when the placement is significant because the works are somehow related. For example, the monument Stone Henge is located near the newly discovered ruins of Durrington Walls Henge; the Baptistry of Florence, Italy is placed near the Cathedral and bell tower of Florence. To indicate the current geographic location or creation place of the work, use the 3.6.1.20 Geographic or Corporate Body Location.

  • 4210 | positioned / located with / near | 4210

• companion piece of: Refers to a work designed to be displayed or used with one or more other works, not necessarily matching and not necessarily numbering only two. For example, a footstool and side table may be companion pieces to a chair.

  • 4211 | companion piece of | 4211

• pendant of: Refers to a work designed to be displayed together as a pair with another work, usually side by side or facing one another. For example, a portrait of a husband may be a pendant of a portrait of the wife.

  • 4212 | pendant of | 4212

• mate of: Refers to a work designed to be used together with another work, but not necessarily side by side in display. For example, one ancient Greek earring may be a mate of a second earring.

  • 4213 | mate of | 4213

• conjuncted with: Refers to a work designed to always be used with another work of equal status, but not a pair of objects having the same work type. For example, a cup may be conjuncted with its matching saucer.

  • 4114 | conjuncted with | 4114

• part of same whole: Refers to a work that is, with one or more other works, are components or parts of another work. For example, two engraved plates may have a relationship to each other because they are part of the same book. This associative relationship is used when a hierarchical whole/part relationship is not possible; while it is desirable to link such works as “siblings” in a hierarchy as “children” under a “parent” record for the whole, the cataloger may not have the time or resources to make the appropriate additional records that would be required for constructing rich hierarchical relationships.

  • 4215 | part of same whole | 4215

• member of same set/group: Refers to a work that is part of the same set as another work. For example, four side chairs may be related to each other because they are all be members of the same set. This associative relationship is used when a hierarchical whole/part relationship is not possible; while it is desirable to link such works as “siblings” in a hierarchy as “children” under a “parent” record for the whole, the cataloger may not have the time or resources to make the appropriate additional records that would be required for constructing rich hierarchical relationships.

  • 4217 | member of same set/group | 4217

• member of same series: Refers to a work that is part of the same series as one or more other works; series are works intended by the artist to be viewed or considered together. For example, one painting of a wheatstack by Monet is related to his other paintings of wheatstacks because they belong to the same series. This associative relationship is used when a hierarchical whole/part relationship is not possible; while it is desirable to link such works as “siblings” in a hierarchy as “children” under a “parent” record for the whole series, the cataloger may not have the time or resources to make the appropriate additional records that would be required for constructing rich hierarchical relationships. For series involving multiples (such as prints), if time and resources allow, the cataloger should also consider links to the appropriate Conceptual Works for multiples.

  • 4218 | member of same series | 4218

• member of same ensemble: Refers to a work that is part of the same ensemble, which is a grouping of works, including costume. For example, a historical Dior coat, hat, and dress may be related because they were designed to be worn together.

  • 4219 | member of same ensemble | 4219

• from same model: Refers to a work cast or otherwise created from the same model as other works. For example, figures in Rodin’s Gates of Hell in Paris were cast from the same models as figures in his Gates of Hell in Zurich. This associative relationship is used when a hierarchical whole/part relationship is not possible; while it is desirable to hierarchically link such works to a Conceptual Work for these multiples, the cataloger may not have the time or resources to make the appropriate additional records that would be required for constructing rich hierarchical relationships.

  • 4243 | cast from same model | 4243

• from same mold: Refers to a work cast or pressed from the same mold as another work. For example, a porcelain doll’s head may be cast from the same mold as another porcelain doll’s head. This associative relationship is used when a hierarchical whole/part relationship is not possible; while it is desirable to hierarchically link such works to a Conceptual Work for these multiples, the cataloger may not have the time or resources to make the appropriate additional records that would be required for constructing rich hierarchical relationships.

  • 4244 | from same mold | 4244

• based on same design: Refers to a work that is based on the same design as another work. For example, two similar historical Dior coats may both represent the same basic design, even though they are made in different colors and fabrics; several works by Medardo Rosso entitled Ecce Puer may be variants on the same portrait design, although not copies nor cast from the same model.

  • 4245 | based on same design | 4245

• contribution for / uses contribution: Refers to a work that is a separate work but incorporated into another work. For example, a given artist’s contribution to the compiled cadavre exquis of several artists, or spolia taken from one building and incorporated into a new building.

  • 4261 | contribution for | 4262
    4262 | uses contribution | 4261

• copy after / based on: Refers to a work that is copied after another work. For example, a Roman marble statue may be a copy after a lost Greek bronze original.

  • 4311 | copy after | 4312
    4312 | copy is | 4311

• pastiche copy after / pastiche copy is: Refers to a work that is partially copied after another work, but having certain features or parts copied from a second work or added as original. An example is a Velázquez copy of a portrait of Philip IV by Rubens, where Velázquez has changed the face of the sitter and certain other features.

  • 4313 | pastiche copy after | 4314
    4314 | pastiche copy is | 4313

• facsimile of / facsimile is: Refers to a work that is intended to reproduce another work, usually of the same size. An example is a late 16th-century illustrated book that uses the more efficient printing press and engravings to reproduce an earlier book that had been illustrated with woodcuts.

  • 4315 | facsimile of | 4316
    4316 | facsimile is | 4315

• derived from / source for: Refers to a work that is strongly influenced by or derived from another work, but not to the extent that it is a copy; for most works that are simply influenced by another, the connection is not strong enough to make this associative relationship. An example of when it is appropriate would be when one print from the period of the French Revolution is strongly and intentionally referenced in a second print during the Revolution; a plate in a book for architectural column capitals may be the source for column capitals in a built work.

  • 4321 | derived from | 4322
    4322 | source for | 4321

• depicts / depicted in: Refers to a work that is itself a work of art and documents the depicted work in a particularly important historical context. For example, if a record drawing or photograph illustrates a rare but critical aspect of the construction or former state of a built work. In most cases, this link between one work depicted in another work is better made through Depicted Subject, which is a one-way rather than reciprocal link. The goal is to use the reciprocal Associative Relationship for only the most important depictions of one work in another. For preparatory works, prefer 4111/4112 preparatory for/based on.

  • 4325 | depicts | 4326
    4326 | depicted in | 4325

• context is / context for: Refers to a work that was designed for and used in the context of another work, usually a larger or more important work. An example is a Rococo frame, which is itself considered a work, that was made specifically to frame a particular portrait painting. For works of equal status that are intended to be together, use 4114 conjuncted with or another appropriate relationship type.

  • 4391 | context is | 4392
    4392 | context for | 4391

• architectural context is / is architectural context for: Refers to a work that is designed and placed within a built work or other monumental work. An example is a sculpture designed for and placed in an Arc de Triomphe; a fresco cycle may be placed within a chapel, which is a built work.

  • location is / is location for: Refers to a work, usually a built work or monumental sculpture, that is located within another work, such as a courtyard or work of landscape architecture.

  • located adjacent to: Refers to a work, usually a built work or monumental sculpture, that is not part of a second work, but the two works are located side by side and are otherwise related by design or function.

    • 4393 | architectural context is | 4394
      4394 | is architectural context for | 4393
      4395 | location is | 4396
      4396 | is location for | 4395
      4397 | located adjacent to | 4397

• formerly part of same whole: Refers to a work that together with another work was at some point part of the same whole. Examples would be related pottery shards for which the whole is now unknown; also, panels of a disassembled altarpiece that are now be dispersed in different repositories. This associative relationship is used when a hierarchical whole/part relationship is not possible; while it is desirable to hierarchically link such works to a separate work record for historical whole work, the cataloger may not have the time or resources to make the appropriate additional records that would be required for constructing rich hierarchical relationships.

  • 4512 | formerly part of same whole | 4512

• former architectural context was / formerly was architectural context for: Refers to a work that was created for an architectural context but no longer resides there. For example, a stained glass panel now in the Metropolitan Museum in New York was formerly part of a window in Rouen Cathedral in France.

  • 4515 | former architectural context was | 4516
    4516 | formerly was architectural context for | 4515

• former context was / formerly was context for: Refers to a work that was designed for and used in the context of another work, usually a larger or more important work, but is no longer positioned there. For example, an important picture frame may have been formerly placed on a given portrait, but now the portrait is framed with another frame.

  • 4517 | former context was | 4518
    4518 | formerly was context for | 4517

• former location of / formerly was location for: Refers to a work, usually a built work or monumental sculpture, that was located within or on another work, such as landscape architecture, but is no longer located there.

  • built on site of / antedated on same site of: Refers to a work, usually a built work, that occupies a site upon which another built work formerly existed, the earlier work having been razed otherwise no longer exists. If the second work was intended to replace the older first work, as when a new cathedral is built on the site of an earlier cathedral, consider also predecessor of / replaced, although this designation does not necessarily imply existing on the same site.

    • 4521 | former location of | 4522
      4522 | formerly was location for | 4521
      4523 | built on site of | 4524
      4524 | antedated on same site of | 4523

• predecessor of / replaced: Refers to one work having replaced another in usage, but not necessarily in position; usually reserved for built works. For example Old Saint Peter’s in Rome was the predecessor of its replacement, the new Saint Peter’s basilica and complex.

  • 4601 | predecessor of | 4602
    4602 | replaced 4601

• incorporated in / incorporates: Used when one work is incorporated in another, but when a hierarchical whole/part relationship is inappropriate. For example, an original art animation cel may be incorporated in a film, which is a conceptual work, not a physical work (since it is produced in multiples). The physical cel should not have a direct whole/part relationship with the Conceptual Work record for the whole film.

• 4603 | incorporated in | 4604
  4604 | incorporates | 4603

If you feel that another Relationship Type is required, contact the Vocabulary Program.

Flag indicating the historical status of the relationship of this Work to the Related Work.

Values are controlled by a list:

• current
• historical
• both
• not applicable
• undetermined

Flag the relationship as current or historical as necessary.

Most associative relationships will be current. If the relationship is historical, flag it appropriately. If there is a designated Relationship Type indicating a former relationship, for example 4102/formerly identified with, use that relationship type rather than flagging it historical here.

• Current: For relationships that still exist, even though they may have been established long ago, use current.

• Historical: For a relationship that no longer exists.

• Both: For a relationship that is both current and historical.

• Not applicable: Used primarily for contibuted data.

• Unknown: Used primarily for contributed data.

Dates delimiting the relationship between the two works.

There are three fields: Display Date, Start Date, and End Date.

Display Date is a free-text field; values may be any Unicode character or numbers.

Start Date and End Date must contain valid years.

The dates should be determined using the same auhoritative sources that supply other information about the relationship.

The Display Date for the relationship usually refers to a period or date, however, it may sometimes contain notes that do not explicitly make reference to a date. In such cases, the note should implicitly refer to a date or datable condition or event, because you are required to include a Start Date and End Date with every Display Date.

Display dates are indexed with Start Date and End Date. Start and End Dates are controlled by special formatting; dates BCE are represented by negative numbers.

Dates are not appropriate for most associative relationships in CONA. Enter dates only where pertinent.

If you enter data in any of the three fields, you must enter data in all three of the fields.

The dates appear on reciprocal links. That means that the same dates will appear in both records. Write the Display Dates and assign Start and End Dates so that they will be correct and unambiguous in both records. Repeat the titles of the works in the Display Date when necessary to avoid ambiguity.

A brief set of rules for dates appears below. See also 4.2 Appendix B: Dates and 3.3.18 Dates for Titles.

Express the date for display to end users. Express nuance and ambiguity as necessary. Follow the style of existing Display Dates.

• Examples:

  • Display Date: pertinent after 1520
    Start Date: 1520 End Date: 9999

  • Display Date: since the mid-18th century
    Start Date: 1730 End Date: 9999

  • Display Date: from the Baroque period
    Start Date: 1590 End Date: 9999

Do not use an initial capital, unless the word is a proper name. Do not use full sentences; do not end the display date with a period or any other punctuation.

Ideally, the display date should refer, explicitly or implicitly, to a time period or date associated with the link between the Related Works. If a date is uncertain, use a broad or vague designation (e.g., ancient) or other terms such as ca. and probably to express uncertainty (e.g., ca., in the example below).

• Example:
  Display Date: from ca. 1810 through 1940
  Start Date: 1800 End Date: 1940

In some cases, the Display Date may be used to record unusual or important information about the Related Concept relationship (see the example below), but not referring explicitly to a date. However, dates should be implicit in the condition or event mentioned and you should have a period or date in mind, because - if you record a Display Date, you must also record Start and End dates.

• Example:
  Display Date: pertinent for native inhabitants along the seacoast from Niantic Bay to the Connecticut River
  Start Date: 1400 End Date: 1900

Use dates that most broadly delimit the span of time of the relationship referred to in the display date. In many cases, the years will be approximate years. When in doubt, it is better to estimate too broad a span rather than too narrow a span. See 4.2 Appendix B: Dates for spans of dates of historic events and entities.

Dates must be expressed in the proleptic Gregorian calendar, which is the Gregorian calendar projected back in time before it came into existence.

Express dates BCE by negative numbers, using a hyphen before the number. Do not use commas or any other punctuation.

• Example:
  Display Date: only as related to Banshan urns
  Start Date: -2800 End Date: -2300

For current relationships, use the End Date 9999.

• Example:
  Display Date: from 1810
  Start Date: 1810 End Date: 9999

For very ancient dates, expressed as years ago or before present in the Display Date, translate these dates into approximate years in the proleptic Gregorian calendar for the Start and End Dates.

Alphanumeric indicator or phrase that qualifies the relationship between related works. May also contain other codes or qualifying text about the relationship.

• Examples:
  • sequence A
  • scene 45
  • 1st in series
  • Steiner A19
  • Before = #1, After = #2

This is not a controlled field. However, consistent use of capitalization, punctuation, and syntax is recommended.

Use the same authoritative sources used for the rest of thre record.

It is often important to indicate the sequential position or other relationship of one work to another. For example, in the relationship between siblings that are or were part of a whole, such as the folio or page number in a volume, the act and scene number of a cel that is part of an animated film, or the position of a particular print in a series of prints.

Other sorts of positional or chronological codes or notes may be included. For example, for a pair of pendant paintings, the intended position of left and right placement may be noted.

Keep in mind that this Qualifier note is reciprocal and symmetric, in that it displays in both records. Therefore, phrase it so that it works for both records (e.g., Before = #1, After = #2).

Optional: Record a phrase or number that concisely describes the physical or intellectual position of this work in relation to other related works.

Use consistent syntax and punctuation. Doing so will allow this field to be used to sort related works in a logical order.