Provenance research
Research into an artwork's ownership and transfer history from its creation to the present.
Example
A provenance record can explain how and when a work entered a national collection and where gaps remain.
Sources: collections.louvre.fr
Related terms
Collections and curating
Accession number
The unique identifier assigned by a museum to an object in its collection records.
Collections and curating
Acceptance in lieu
A French mechanism that allows significant works to be transferred to the state in payment of inheritance tax.
Collections and curating
Work on loan
An object temporarily lent by its owner or home institution for display elsewhere.
Collections and curating
Permanent collection
The works an institution holds and presents over time, although individual objects may rotate or leave display.
