Term for the Day: Provenance

In the art world, the term “provenance” is used to describe the facts about a particular work of art. Provenance includes the country of origin, the artist and the time period of creation. The term also applies to data about who discovered the object, and the object’s history of ownership.

When buying art or artifacts, it’s usually a good idea to get as much information about the provenance as possible. Knowing these details helps you assign a monetary value to the piece as well as allows you to place it historically. Much like living things, antiques and works of art have a history which should be shared and remembered.