Provenance research

In an ideal situation, archaeological objects have a provenance history that goes back to their site of discovery and so its context of use: where was it found, by whom and under what circumstances. The archaeological or find context of an object is very important because it provides a lot of information that cannot be deduced from the object itself, for example whether an object was used in a domestic or burial context. The loss of this context automatically means a great loss of knowledge.

Unfortunately, provenance history is often incomplete or even completely absent from museum objects. To still gather as much information as possible, the Allard Pierson conducts provenance research. This includes archive research, research on the object itself, research into networks of dealers and previous owners. This process is time-consuming, dynamic and complex, and depends on the willing cooperation of various people and institutions.

Documenting the provenance history of an archaeological object is important because it can tell us something about the circumstances under which an object left its country of origin. This may have taken place either legally or under illegal circumstances. In addition, the acquisition of artefacts may have taken place under duress or pressure, such as during colonial rule or war.

The Allard Pierson considers it its moral duty to combat the illegal trade in antiquities and to condemn the theft of archaeological objects in conflict situations in the strongest terms. Many countries have their own legislation to combat illegal export of heritage and protect archaeological sites and monuments from destruction and looting. There are also international treaties and agreements that set out definitions, rules and cooperation in protecting heritage. For instance, in 2009, the Netherlands ratified the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. This convention is also included in the Code of Ethics of ICOM (and the Dutch Museum Association). According to the convention, it is important that every archaeological object on the art market has a traceable provenance history.

It is important to realise that while there are legal means to request or give back heritage, the conversation also addresses the moral arguments. Both play a role when researching provenance and deciding on purchase and/or return.

These collections date back to the foundation of the Allard Pierson Museum in 1934 and include archaeological objects mainly from the Mediterranean region. Many of these objects came from the collection of the banker Constant W. Lunsingh Scheurleer. In the following decades, objects and collections were acquired by purchase and donation from private collectors, dealers and auction houses. The Allard Pierson has objects in its collection whose provenance is incomplete or unknown. This does not automatically mean that they are illegal objects; it means that we cannot in these cases determine how and when these objects left their country of origin and in what way that happened. This is now being investigated.

The Allard Pierson wants to participate in an international network that fights illegal trade in antiquities and wants to have a transparent discussion on the subject. It also wants to respond better to requests for restitution and proactively trace objects with an illegal provenance in its collections. The Allard Pierson has had to deal with restitution applications for objects found to have left their country of origin illegally, such as an Etruscan antefix mould and a tall bowl with lid (pyxis) from Centuripe. In these cases, the Allard Pierson agreed to return the objects to the source country. Societal debates about the provenance of heritage and who owns it add to the relevance of this research and vice versa.

The priority now is to investigate the provenance history of all objects acquired from 1970 to the present (see ‘What legal and ethical frameworks are applied by the Allard Pierson?’). In this way, the Allard Pierson not only wants to account better for the background and provenance history of the archaeological collections, but also enter into new or established collaborations with provenance countries and researchers. In addition, the Allard Pierson wants to participate in the debate on acquisition of archaeological objects by museums. In this research, the Allard Pierson collaborates with countries of origin, the Dutch government and other museums worldwide. The research and cooperation may also result in long-term loans of objects or agreements on acquisition with governments.

It is important to realise that provenance research may cause views and visions to change during the process and because of the research that is done. On this page you can continue to follow the conversation on the subject and the different perspectives.