Provenanssi
Provenanssi is the study and documentation of the origin, ownership history, and transmission of an object or asset. It covers where an item came from, its previous owners, exhibition or usage history, inscriptions, and changes in form or condition. Provenanssi is central to fields such as art history, archaeology, library science, and museology, where it supports authentication, valuation, restitution decisions, and scholarly interpretation by providing important context.
In practice, provenance research relies on archival records, catalogs raisonnés, sales and auction catalogs, certificates, attribution
Provenanssi can be challenged by gaps in records, forged documentation, or contested claims of ownership. In