Source review
Confirm seller or community relationship, ownership authority, acquisition context, and whether the object is appropriate for commercial circulation.
Provenance is part of the object.
Gaia is being designed so rarity is never enough. A work must be supported by documented origin, lawful sourcing, cultural review, condition context, and export/import review before it can be represented as verified inventory.
Cultural review
Screen for sacred, funerary, archaeological, communally restricted, or otherwise culturally sensitive material before listing.
Object documentation
Record materials, technique, dimensions, condition, maker/community attribution where permitted, and supporting photography.
Legal movement
Confirm export/import eligibility, permits where required, customs classification, and jurisdiction-specific restrictions.
Gaia record
Assign a permanent Gaia Object Number and publish only the public facts that are verified and appropriate to disclose.
Archive continuity
Preserve the object's public catalogue record after collection unless legal, cultural, or privacy requirements require removal or redaction.
Not accepted
Some objects should never enter the marketplace.
Objects with unresolved archaeological status, sacred or funerary character, illicit-export risk, unresolved communal ownership, insufficient provenance, or legal restrictions are not eligible for sale until those issues are resolved — and some may remain permanently ineligible.