ABSTRACT
This chapter covers Quadrant IV of the characterization grid: non-material information not specific to the object at hand. The categories of information are the same as those of Quadrant III, covered in the previous chapter: the history of the object, its current value(s), and its future. Few people other than the custodian are likely to have information about this particular object, so in order to find out more about it, we look for information on similar objects. The main sources are history, anthropology, sociology, and related fields. Conservators themselves, of course, possess a wealth of information on the history of objects.
