rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryprovenanceOrigin and history
noun

provenance

PRAH-vuh-nuns/ˈprɑːvənəns/

The history of where something came from.

Archival photographs trace the provenance of the antique vase.

A valuable antique vase accompanied by a chronological visual record: three overlapping archival photographs show the same distinctive vase in an old private collection, on an auction pedestal, and in a museum display.
Etymology
proLatinforth
+venLatinto come
+anceFrenchforms a noun

The pieces express ‘coming forth,’ which became the idea of origin or source. An object's provenance concerns where it came from, including the ownership history that traces that origin.

In context

Getty Museum0:26
Provenance is the history of objects. So provenance researchers investigate how objects move, change hands, change ownership from the moment they're created
What is art provenance? A Getty Research Institute case study

More examples

  • The dealer provides documents confirming the painting's provenance.
  • Researchers investigate the provenance of the newly discovered manuscript.
  • The restaurant lists the provenance of its beef.

Forms

provenance · provenances

Similar words

origin
Identifies where something began, without necessarily tracing its history.
source
Identifies the supplier or starting point, rather than an ownership history.