A mark on an old object can look like the beginning of a story. Perhaps it came from use, storage or an accident. Before choosing one, make a plain observational note. The mark can be recorded even when its cause is unknown.
Locate the feature
Use a stable reference such as “upper left corner in the catalogue’s front view”. Avoid “over there” or a direction that changes when the object is turned. If you use a photograph, keep its filename or catalogue image reference with the note.
Describe the feature’s visible extent and appearance without inventing measurements. “A narrow pale line along the edge” is more defensible than “a two-centimetre repair” when no scale or conservation record supports either part of that claim.
Separate observation and explanation
In a fictional example, a darker patch might be visible beside a label. Calling it staining, a coating or evidence of heat would require further information. Record the patch first, then put possible explanations in a clearly marked question field.
Do not assume that an older photograph shows the same lighting or viewpoint. An apparent change between images may need checking before it can be described as a change in the object.
Keep the exercise non-interventive
This is a method for reading and writing notes, not a restoration procedure. Follow the collection’s handling rules and leave cleaning or treatment decisions to the responsible conservator. There is no need to improve the surface in order to describe what is visible.
Finish with the date of observation and the source used. If you later learn that the feature has a documented explanation, add the source rather than silently replacing the earlier uncertainty.
The same distinction helps with material identification: a careful description is valuable precisely because it does not claim more than the evidence supports.