Definition:
The history of ownership of a valued object or
work of art or literature
What does it involve?
Establishing provenance
involves collecting evidence that the item is what you say it is. Examples of
such evidence includes, but not limited to, pictures, bill of sale,
verification thru manufacturer of serial number. Pertaining to the last one,
with some items like guns, if you provide the serial number to manufacturer
they will verify its authenticity and model number, along with the production
dates. Another example would be symbols on pottery or porcelain – these would
identify the manufacturer and many times the production dates.
How much?
How much depends on the
history of the piece. If you just acquired a brand new item, there is not going
to be much history, and just a little bit of provenance. In this case, be sure
to keep and include the original Bill of Sale – this will establish when, how
much was paid, and who it was sold to. If you newly acquired an older piece
like a Civil War Confederate gun, you will have a Bill of Sale of the just
completed sale and hopefully one or more Civil War era documents. Additionally, you should be getting an
establish provenance from the previous owner. If not you should get as many
details as possible from the previous owner. The rest you will probably have to
research on your own.
If you own a family
heirloom that has been handed down from generation to generation you may have
an accurate accounting of the item’s history, or maybe not. You may or may not
have any documents like a Bill of Sales, pictures, certificates of
authenticity, signatures (like that of an artist on a painting), or symbols on
pottery or porcelain. Start with what you have and go from there. If you have
an artist’s signature on a painting, go from there. If it is a recognized
artist, the rest may fall into place. If the artist is not recognized, it may
take some time and digging to find out the rest.
Who cares?
There are intended audiences.
Future generations of your family would be one example. It is harder to
research and attain good history and provenance as time slips by. For family
heirlooms, the sooner you establish the provenance and history of your
heirloom, the better.
For items intended for
sale at auction or otherwise outside of your family, provenance becomes
crucial. Verified provenance often commands a premium, as history and
verification of the item is established (the casual observer of Antiques
Roadshow recognizes this).
The Next Step
If you bought a brand new
item, you probably have the Bill of Sale, and the circumstances surrounding the
purchase (e.g. bought by Mom for Junior’s 10th birthday). The only
thing left to do is take a picture of Junior with the item on his 10th
birthday. Be sure to add significant events or changes in status as time goes
on that would be of importance to the item’s provenance.
If you have an older
item, you may already have some provenance. Verify and document that provenance.
During the verification and documentation process, you may find more
information relevant to your particular items’ provenance. Be forewarned – the
process may take some time and effort in gathering the needed information and
related documents. Much of it will depend on whether there is an established
market for your item. As noted in “Who Cares?” it is harder to research and
attain good history and provenance as time slips by.
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