Fred Taylor writing for the WorthPoint Insider newsletter has a very good article on provenance and its impact on the value of antique furniture. Some of the article content is geared toward the collector, but there are many portions of the article which can be of use to the personal property appraiser. The article is well worth the time reading.
Taylor states The word provenance comes from the Middle French word provenant, which is the present participle of provenir which means “to come forth.” That, of course, ultimately comes from a Latin word, but that’s close enough. Basically, it means the source or the origin of a particular item. But with antiques it means a little more. In general antiques related terms, it refers not only to the source of the item but also to where it has been all these years and in whose possession. In other words, the genealogy of the piece.
Taylor continues The ideal provenance, of course, begins with an original receipt, preferably from the cabinetmaker who made the piece, and hopefully containing the name of the original purchaser. This is reinforced by a series of probate documents and wills which contain descriptions of the piece in question and designate to whom the piece was bequeathed or sold. It is then traced in household inventory listing through the years until the last person in the documented chain bestows the piece on a museum or public collection or sends it to auction where the provenance is pronounced as “impeccable” or “wonderful” by the auction house’s gushing expert. This is the kind of proof required for such things as Daughters of the American Revolution listings but is seldom found in the real world of older and antique furniture.
To read the full article by Fred Taylor, click HERE.
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