Provenance Research at The Met
About Us
Every one of the more than 1.5 million objects in The Met collection has a unique history, purpose, and context. Part of the Museum’s mission is to research and present the provenance of every piece in our care. This work enables the Met to continuously expand and diversify the narratives we present in the galleries and on the website. When, how, and where was each piece in The Met’s stewardship created? Who made it, and why? What journey did it take to New York?
The provenance team works with The Met’s curators, conservators, and scientists, as well as internal and external partners, in conducting a systematic review of the provenance of the Museum’s holdings and ensuring that all objects entering the collection meet The Met’s strict collecting policies. The Met is a leader in the field in providing provenance information on most of our collection, with hundreds of thousands of objects available online.
Collaborative Research Conducted by The Met and the Republic of Iraq
As part of this collaboration, The Met initiated the return of the sculpture Vessel Stand with Ibex to Iraq, which was marked by a ceremony held at the Museum.
Provenance Initiatives
The Met is committed to the responsible collecting of ancient art, archaeological materials, and other cultural property, including works of art from once-colonized areas, and goes to great lengths to ensure that all objects entering the collection meet its strict collecting policies.
In response to the systematic, widespread looting by the Nazi regime, the provenance of works that changed hands in German-occupied Europe during the Nazi era has long been an area of particular focus for The Met.
Sometimes The Met learns through its own research or from an outside source that a work should be returned to its country of origin, based on our policies and the laws of the country in which it originated. Learn about objects that The Met has returned.
Resources for Provenance Research
- Advanced Art Search
Search 490,000+ works from 5,000 years of history.
- Provenance Research Guide
A brief guide to books and online resources for provenance research
- Museum Archives
Finding aids to Archival Collections and Museum history resources
- MetPublications
Explore over 1,700 titles from the last six decades.
- New York and Paris Brummer Gallery Records
Records for objects that passed through the galleries between 1916-1947.
- Archival Labels for the Leonard A. Lauder Cubist Collection
Examine marks revealing sales and exhibition histories.
- Auction Catalogs
This collection, hosted by the Internet Archive, contains an ever-growing number digitized sales catalogs from the Met Libraries' collections. The catalogs date from the seventeenth through the mid-twentieth centuries, and are primarily from American and European auction houses.
- The Cloisters Archive Collection
Photo albums, scholar and dealer records with finding aids and container lists
Articles, Audio, and Video
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