So, in addition to checking if your image is free to use as a Creative Commons image or if someone else is using your images, what if you were an owner of a piece of art or an Appraiser of Fine Art and wanted to have a better idea of where an object came from ?

Let’s take an image from a collector and see what similar images are available with information on the typical physical construction.

Is it a coffee pot or a tea pot? What time period does it come from? What country could it be from? What is the material made of ( Silver or Pewter)?

Let us take the Google reverse image search engine to see what comparable images come up?

The search came up with three comparisons.

Number 1 was a Wikipedia Tea Pot. Looks totally different and is not applicable for our search.

Number 2 is a collection of visually similar images. None had exactly the same characteristics as our sample. Not the same handle or spout.

Number 3 was an exact match showing that the sample we input is actually a German Silver Coffee Pot, made in Frankfurt Germany and owned by AC Silver which has an online presence. Additional information concerning the age or manufacturer from the current owner would be most likely available.

I think you can see there are many other ways to identify objects that you may be interested in knowing more detailed information on whether they be automobiles, birds, period furniture (age, style, country, etc.).