What is provenance?
Provenance details the complete history and ownership of an item, from the time of its creation or discovery to the present day – including such details as origin, previous locations, past ownership and possession, and history of sale.
Provenance research is central to responsible museum practice. It serves many purposes, from helping to substantiate an item’s authenticity, to improving understanding of its original function and meaning. In some cases, provenance research can also support restitution or repatriation. Provenance records and research reveal not only how objects have moved across borders and over time, but also the broader social, historical, and political forces that have shaped those movements.
Reconstructing a complete provenance history is often challenging, if not impossible, and research is therefore an ongoing process. Many objects will have gaps in their provenance histories, but continued examination and discovery of new information may help fill those gaps over time.
ROM’s approach
ROM is committed to ongoing research regarding the provenance of its collections and sharing its research transparently. Today, when considering new acquisitions, ROM exercises due diligence and follows the Museum’s Provenance Practice Guidelines, taking into account both legal and ethical considerations. In accordance with the UNESCO 1970 Convention and the ICOM Code of Ethics for Museums, ROM will not acquire objects where sufficient provenance information cannot be obtained.
At the same time, ROM seeks to better understand the many ways in which objects have entered its collections. Legal, ethical, and professional standards governing acquisitions and collections stewardship have evolved over time. ROM also recognizes that historical collecting practices were sometimes shaped by unequal power relationships and historical injustices, such as colonial extraction and violence. To this end, ROM curators and researchers investigate accession files, correspondence, sale catalogues, internal and external archival records, as well as physical marks, labels, and inscriptions on the objects themselves. Consultation and collaboration with scholars and communities also bring important perspectives to this work. ROM’s website and collections database are regularly updated as new information comes to light.
For all provenance-related inquiries, please contact Jodi Zhang, Manager of Provenance Studies.
ROM's Initiatives
- Research, publication, exhibition, and ROM resources
- Restitution and repatriation