The date or range of dates associated with the creation, design, production, presentation, performance, construction, or alteration of the work or its components. recorded. The Creation Date for a work of art may simply be a single year. In other cases, a work of art or architecture may have more complex dates. It may have been created over a span of time or may have multiple dates associated with phases or activities surrounding its creation.

Approximate dates may represent a range of a few years or a broad range of a century or more. Dates may be qualified with terms such as circa (ca.), about, before, or after (for example, after 1611 or ca. 830 BCE). Dates may also be recorded by century (for example, 12th century).

Date types: Add a type in parentheses after date when neccesary for clarity.
(alteration)
(alteration)
(broadcast)
(bulk)
(commission)
(creation)
(design)
(destruction)
(discovery)
(exhibition)
(inclusive)
(performance)
(publication)
(restoration)
(view)

example:
1745 (creation); 1905 (destruction)
early 6th century B.C. (creation); 1903 (discovery); 1925 (restoration)

Single date: 1986
earliest = 1986 latest = 1986

Span of dates: 1951-1953
earliest = 1651 latest = 1653

More than one work: use labels to distinguish individual works.
1939 (top); 1941 (bottom)
earliest = 1939 latest = 1941

Entire century: 16th century
earliest = 1500 latest = 1599

Part of century: early 19th century
earliest = 1800 latest = 1825

Time period: Mesozoic period
earliest = 225000000 latest = 70000000

Circa date: add 5 years before and after the date
ca. 1950
earliest = 1645 latest = 1655

Circa multiple dates: use dates provided.
ca. 1623-1666
earliest = 1623 latest = 1666

Open date spans: use 9999 for latest.
1911-
earliest = 1911 latest = 9999

Undated: provide an estimate or use creator's life span.
mid 13th century
earliest = 1235 latest = 1265