Recognition & risk
How to check provenance without being fooled
Real provenance is documented, verifiable, and traceable through independent sources — archives, catalogs, publications, institutional records. Constructed provenance relies on narrative, unverifiable names, or convenient stories that cannot be checked. The difference: real provenance withstands a phone call or an archive search; fake provenance collapses under scrutiny.
The Method's take
The Method applies the constructed-provenance doctrine: narrative is not evidence. Before you pay, verify every claim against independent sources — published catalogs, foundation archives, recorded sales. A story that cannot be verified must be priced as if it does not exist. Constructed provenance is not disqualifying; it is simply worth less. The seller's unwillingness to provide documentary proof is itself data.
The math
A mid-value piece with fake provenance bought at €8,000–15,000 might realize €1,500–3,000 when the story fails at resale. A top piece with unverified attribution bought at €50,000+ can become unsellable or worth under €5,000 if the foundation or archive rejects it. The 24-hour pass costs €100. One avoided mistake pays for thirty-eight annual passes.
One question answered here saved you a mistake. The engine answers yours — the exact object, the exact number.
Ask the engine — 24h pass €100