Provenance Files

Fine art collecting from the documentation side — authentication, ownership chains, and the paperwork that makes art sellable.

John F. Peto, Old Souvenirs (c. 1881–1901): a letter rack crowded with a folded newspaper, a worn blue book, cards and envelopes.

Provenance Files

Buying art with provenance: what documents actually matter

What provenance means when buying art, the three documents that matter, who is entitled to sign them, questions to ask before paying, and what it protects.

NorwegianSpark Editorial14 min

Pieter de Hooch, Woman with a Water Pitcher, and a Man by a Bed (c. 1667–70): a woman carrying a pitcher through a sunlit Dutch interior.

Provenance Files

The 1933–1945 provenance gap: looted-art due diligence and the Washington Principles

Why a 1933–1945 gap in a painting's ownership history invites restitution claims: the Washington Principles, the 2024 best practices and the checks to run.

NorwegianSpark Editorial13 min

An 18th-century box made from a tortoise's shell, fitted with a metal rim.

Provenance Files

The Objects You Can Own But Cannot Move: CITES, Ivory and Export Rules for Collectors

Tortoiseshell, ivory, rosewood and heritage objects: why lawfully owned antiques can be stopped at a border, CITES and UK Ivory Act rules, what to check.

NorwegianSpark Editorial10 min