Objects: Core Identity Information

Table of Contents

Introduction
Identifier
Titles
- Primary Title
- Alternate Titles
Types

Introduction

The core information that conveys the object's identity includes identifiers and titles/labels assigned to it, along with primary and more domain specific types.

Identifier

URI

The URI of the resource, as given in id, is the primary identifier for the object, and the URI at which the description of the object is made available.

{
  "@context": "https://linked.art/ns/v1/linked-art.json", 
  "id": "https://linked.art/example/object/45", 
  "type": "ManMadeObject", 
  "label": "Simple Example Painting", 
  "classified_as": [
    {
      "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300033618", 
      "type": "Type", 
      "label": "Painting"
    }, 
    {
      "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300133025", 
      "type": "Type", 
      "label": "Artwork"
    }
  ]
}

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Non-URI Identifiers

There are often other identifiers available for the object, including local numbers provided by a database or collection management system, accession numbers, or stock numbers. These are recorded as separate resources, with a value and a type, and referenced from the object via the identified_by relationship. This also allows them to be linked to the documentation that asserts the identifier. The different types of identifier can be given via the classified_as property.

The example below expresses two legacy identifiers, an Accession Number (aat:300312355) and a Local Number (aat:300404621) provided by a database system.

{
  "@context": "https://linked.art/ns/v1/linked-art.json", 
  "id": "https://linked.art/example/object/46", 
  "type": "ManMadeObject", 
  "label": "Example Painting", 
  "identified_by": [
    {
      "id": "https://linked.art/example/identifier/7", 
      "type": "Identifier", 
      "label": "Accession Number for Painting", 
      "content": "X198-093", 
      "classified_as": [
        {
          "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300312355", 
          "type": "Type", 
          "label": "Accession Number"
        }
      ]
    }, 
    {
      "id": "https://linked.art/example/identifier/8", 
      "type": "Identifier", 
      "label": "Local Repository Number", 
      "content": 677, 
      "classified_as": [
        {
          "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300404621", 
          "type": "Type", 
          "label": "Local Number"
        }
      ]
    }
  ], 
  "classified_as": [
    {
      "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300033618", 
      "type": "Type", 
      "label": "Painting"
    }, 
    {
      "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300133025", 
      "type": "Type", 
      "label": "Artwork"
    }
  ]
}

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Context for Non-URI Identifiers

Identifiers are typically assigned when an object is accessioned into a collection, or when technology systems that manage the descriptions of the objects, are updated. It can be useful to associate the identifier with the collection it was minted for. This is done by asserting that that the proxy for the object in the context of the collection also has the identifier. Note that in this case the identifier is still current, and hence also associated with the object directly.

Change Likely

This pattern uses the ore:Proxy pattern, which has been found difficult to implement in practice. It is likely to change to use a Phase-based model, in which the object is identified by an Identifier over a particular period of time.

{
  "@context": "https://linked.art/ns/v1/linked-art.json", 
  "id": "https://linked.art/example/object/47", 
  "type": "ManMadeObject", 
  "label": "Example Painting", 
  "identified_by": [
    {
      "id": "https://linked.art/example/identifier/9", 
      "type": "Identifier", 
      "content": "P1998-27", 
      "classified_as": [
        {
          "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300312355", 
          "type": "Type", 
          "label": "Accession Number"
        }
      ]
    }
  ], 
  "classified_as": [
    {
      "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300033618", 
      "type": "Type", 
      "label": "Painting"
    }, 
    {
      "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300133025", 
      "type": "Type", 
      "label": "Artwork"
    }
  ], 
  "aggregated_by": [
    {
      "id": "https://linked.art/example/set/15", 
      "type": "Aggregation", 
      "label": "Paintings Collection", 
      "proxies": [
        {
          "id": "https://linked.art/example/Proxy/4", 
          "type": "Proxy", 
          "identified_by": [
            {"id": "https://linked.art/example/identifier/9","type": "Identifier"}
          ], 
          "proxyIn": {
            "id": "https://linked.art/example/set/15", 
            "type": "Aggregation", 
            "label": "Paintings Collection"
          }, 
          "proxyFor": {
            "id": "https://linked.art/example/object/47", 
            "type": "ManMadeObject", 
            "label": "Example Painting"
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

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Titles

Although the label of the resource should always be included, it is valuable to have more information about the title or titles of the work. Similarly to identifiers, titles are given their own resource with a type and value. It could, again like identifiers, also refer to the documentation where that title was assigned. Unlike books, artworks often change titles or have many different versions assigned to them over time.

Primary Title

The primary title should be given as the label of the object, and also as a Name resource with a value containing the same information. The Primary title should be classified_as the preferred one via aat:300404670. There should be exactly one primary title given per language.

{
  "@context": "https://linked.art/ns/v1/linked-art.json", 
  "id": "https://linked.art/example/object/48", 
  "type": "ManMadeObject", 
  "label": "Peasant and Sheep", 
  "identified_by": [
    {
      "id": "https://linked.art/example/name/23", 
      "type": "Name", 
      "content": "Peasant and Sheep", 
      "classified_as": [
        {
          "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300404670", 
          "type": "Type", 
          "label": "Primary Name"
        }
      ]
    }
  ], 
  "classified_as": [
    {
      "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300033618", 
      "type": "Type", 
      "label": "Painting"
    }, 
    {
      "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300133025", 
      "type": "Type", 
      "label": "Artwork"
    }
  ]
}

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Alternate Titles

Further titles may also be given in the same way, just without the classification as preferred.

{
  "@context": "https://linked.art/ns/v1/linked-art.json", 
  "id": "https://linked.art/example/object/49", 
  "type": "ManMadeObject", 
  "label": "Self Portrait", 
  "identified_by": [
    {
      "id": "https://linked.art/example/name/24", 
      "type": "Name", 
      "content": "Self Portrait", 
      "classified_as": [
        {
          "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300404670", 
          "type": "Type", 
          "label": "Primary Name"
        }
      ]
    }, 
    {
      "id": "https://linked.art/example/name/25", 
      "type": "Name", 
      "content": "Portrait of the Artist"
    }
  ], 
  "classified_as": [
    {
      "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300033618", 
      "type": "Type", 
      "label": "Painting"
    }, 
    {
      "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300133025", 
      "type": "Type", 
      "label": "Artwork"
    }
  ]
}

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Types

The primary type of the object, normally ManMadeObject is given in the type field. More specific types are given using classified_as, referencing domain specific vocabularies. For a set of commonly used specific types, please see the vocabularies section.

In particular, all objects that are considered to be works of art should be have the "works of art" classification: aat:300133025. This will allow systems to distinguish between art objects and others that may be managed in the same dataset, but are not themselves art. These non-art objects might include tools (pencils, paintbrushes, palette, chisel), documents (a copy of an auction catalog, a letter from the artist), or supporting objects (an aisel, case or shelf).

{
  "@context": "https://linked.art/ns/v1/linked-art.json", 
  "id": "https://linked.art/example/object/50", 
  "type": "ManMadeObject", 
  "label": "Sculpture of a Dragon", 
  "classified_as": [
    {
      "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300047090", 
      "type": "Type", 
      "label": "Sculpture"
    }, 
    {
      "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300133025", 
      "type": "Type", 
      "label": "Artwork"
    }
  ]
}

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