A cabinet is an argument with doors.
Its dimensions force selection. Objects placed together begin to explain one another whether or not the keeper writes a label. Scale, color, source, age, material, and spacing become part of the claim.
An object belongs when it advances the cabinet’s question and can be held responsibly. Provenance must be sufficient. The mount must not damage it. Light, dust, pests, handling, and security must fit the material. The object should offer something not already repeated more clearly by another.
Exclusion does equal work.
An impressive object can dominate the cabinet and flatten the smaller relationships. A mysterious object without history can encourage fabricated lore. A fragile object may belong to a different form of storage. A natural or cultural item may not be appropriate to collect or display at all.
Empty space is not unused capacity. It allows one object to remain distinct and gives the keeper room to revise the argument.
The cabinet does not need to contain everything the keeper loves. It needs to make the selected things more intelligible than they were in storage.