Identity and attribution
Fix the object through images, dimensions, technique, support, reverse, signatures, labels, stamps, damage and identifiers; test specialists, archives and the catalogue raisonné.
Standalone Knowledge Centre topic
Fine Art & Alternative Assets
Provenance, authenticity, ownership, custody, insurance and documented transfer.
Authenticity, provenance, title and value are separate questions
No certificate, opinion, scientific analysis or valuation alone resolves a work's identity, authorship, ownership and transferability.
Provenance and title
Reconstruct provenance owner by owner and record gaps without filling them by inference; check liens, claims and legal capacity to transfer.
Technical examination and condition
Select tests for the materials, support, period and specific question; obtain an independent condition report and review conservation, restoration, transport and insurance.
Valuation, custody and payment
Value separately with a stated date, purpose, market, comparables and assumptions; connect custody, insurance, documents and payment to the identified work.
Evidence and alerts before acquiring or accepting the work
Documents and checks
- Identity dossier, invoice and chain of ownership.
- Bibliography, exhibitions, catalogue raisonné and archives.
- Technical-scientific reports and sample chain of custody.
- Title, stolen or claimed objects, export, insurance and valuation.
Signals requiring escalation
- The documents do not identify the work unambiguously.
- An interested opinion is presented as conclusive evidence.
- Scientific examination does not answer a specific hypothesis.
- Valuation improperly substitutes for authenticity, provenance or title.