How to Check the Provenance of an Antique Before You Buy
Provenance is the documented history of an object's ownership and movement. Strong provenance can support identification, lawful ownership and value, but a compelling family story is not the same as evidence.
Ask for the claim in writing
Begin with the seller's exact description. Who is said to have owned the object, when, and how is that known? Ask which parts are documented and which are family tradition or informed opinion.
Professional dealer codes emphasise accurate description and proportionate due diligence. [CINOA's Code of Ethics](https://www.cinoa.org/about/code-of-ethics/) calls for research appropriate to transaction risk, while the [AAADA dealer code](https://aaada.org.au/about/code-dealers/) expects key descriptive details and major restoration to appear in writing.
Build a chronological record
Useful evidence can include:
- Dealer and auction invoices
- Auction catalogue entries and lot numbers
- Collection inventories, wills and insurance schedules
- Exhibition labels and published references
- Historic photographs showing the object
- Export, import or cultural-property documents
- Correspondence with previous owners
- Maker, retailer or collection labels
Record gaps honestly. An undocumented period does not automatically make an ordinary household antique suspicious, but it limits what can safely be claimed.
Check that documents match the object
Compare measurements, materials, marks, damage and repairs with the paperwork. A receipt for a "mahogany table" is weak evidence if several similar tables were owned. Photographs, distinctive inscriptions and detailed condition notes strengthen the link.
Look for inconsistent dates, altered documents and labels that appear newly attached. Do not remove labels to inspect them; photograph their location and construction.
Verify references
Search the named auction house, dealer and collection. Confirm dates, catalogue numbers and images from reliable archives. A previous attribution may have changed as scholarship developed, so record historic and current opinions separately.
Consider legal and ethical risk
Extra care is needed for antiquities, archaeological material, sacred objects, ivory and other regulated wildlife materials, objects linked to conflict zones, and items with possible theft or wartime-displacement histories. Requirements vary by object and jurisdiction. Obtain current specialist advice rather than relying on an informal assurance.
Preserve the record
Keep the invoice, listing, correspondence, condition report and delivery paperwork together. Save web listings because pages disappear. Add your own purchase date and seller details, but never embellish the history.
Warning signs
- A dramatic story with no names, dates or documents
- Pressure to buy before questions are answered
- An invoice omitting the claimed maker, date or provenance
- Documents that do not clearly identify the object
- Refusal to explain restoration, export history or ownership
Provenance does not guarantee authenticity, and authenticity does not itself establish lawful title. Treat construction, condition, attribution and ownership history as related but separate questions.
For restoration demonstrations and workshop stories, [watch and subscribe to Antique Repair Shop on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@AntiqueRepairShop).
Sources and further reading
- [CINOA: Code of Ethics](https://www.cinoa.org/about/code-of-ethics/)
- [Australian Antique & Art Dealers Association: Dealer Code of Practice](https://aaada.org.au/about/code-dealers/)
- [Antiquities Dealers' Association: Code of Conduct](https://theada.co.uk/code-of-conduct/)