 |
| Alma Karlin inspecting a vase. |
|
| Provenance is the record of ownership for a work of art or an antique. But at the National Museum of Asian Art, provenance is also a biography. The full story of provenance puts a museum object in motion, telling us about the people who owned, cared for, and interacted with it throughout history; how it traveled around the world; and the significance it has held across time and place. |
|
Why does provenance matter?
A commitment to provenance is a commitment to transparency—not only to tell the complex stories of each work of art, but also to give voice to the people connected to those objects. Research enables us to highlight previously untold stories of marginalized figures who influenced the creation and distribution of art all over the world. It also ensures the museum can act as a responsible and ethical steward of our collections.
Often, provenance research uncovers information that allows us to grapple with critical questions of ownership, identity, and appropriation—essential conversations in today’s world. Not all objects are simply bought and sold; sometimes, the story of an object includes a forced seizure in the context of war, colonialism, or crime. Over the past several decades, provenance studies have largely focused on World War II and the effort to return Nazi-stolen artworks to their rightful owners. The National Museum of Asian Art has taken it further, devoting resources to uncover the histories of each one of its 44,000+ objects and creating a full-time staff position—one of only a handful in the United States—to focus exclusively on working collaboratively with curators to document each object’s history.
How can I learn more?
The National Museum of Asian Art offers lectures, webinars, and content exploring the discoveries and future applications of provenance research.
|
|
 |
| Gallery view of a pair of ancestor portraits in our Chinese Art collection for which provenance research was recently completed. |
|
How can I help?
Like much scholarly work, provenance research is tangled and time-consuming, requiring repeated visits to archives, interviews with individuals worldwide, and a constantly evolving set of methodologies and resources. None of the groundbreaking research conducted at the National Museum of Asian Art would be possible without your support. You can help unearth the untold stories behind works of art from all corners of the globe by making a gift today. |
|
|
