# Artifacts –Functions, Artworks, and Abstract Artifacts **Keywords:** functions, prototypes, ready-mades, artworks, abstract artifacts, musical works, fictional characters, languages Subject: Metaphysics Collection: Oxford Scholarship Online **Abstract:** In this chapter a number of further issues concerning artifacts are pursued. These include a detailed treatment of the relation of artifacts to di erent kinds of functions and how artifacts acquire their functions. The answer, for those functions that are kind-associated, is: through being made with an intention to make an object of the relevant kind. This raises a problem for prototypes, which is discussed. Also discussed are ready-mades, artworks that seem to challenge the necessity of work on matter for the existence of an artifact. Finally, abstract artifacts are considered through an examination of musical works, ctional characters, and languages. **Authors:** [[Simon J. Evnine]]