"Doubt, indulged and cherished, is in danger of
becoming denial;
But if honest, and bent on thorough investigation,
It may soon lead to full establishment of the
truth."
Ambrose Bierce
"Provenance" in the art world means knowing
where the art comes from. This includes knowing whether the art has
good title. It involves tracing backwards the path of all owners of
the art until the very beginning when the artist sold or gave it
away. Hence, it involves checking that the artist sold or gave the
art to A, who then sold/gave it to B, and B to C, so on so forth,
until it reaches your present transaction.
Understandably, the exercise can be tedious but
necessary.
In Singapore (and most Anglo- American, European and
Commonwealth countries), a person cannot give away what he does not
have in the first place. Accordingly, a person with no title to
pass (ie. a seller with no ownership) cannot pass ownership to a
buyer.
