Why start at creation
Provenance is strongest when it begins with the artist. Recording a work at creation fixes authorship at the earliest possible point and starts an unbroken history, rather than trying to reconstruct one years later from receipts and memory. It also means the record belongs to you and travels with the work as it moves.
A documentation routine
- 1
Register the work as you finish it
Create the record while the details are fresh. On a registry this mints the work's genesis event — the first, permanent entry that names you as the maker.
- 2
Photograph it properly
Capture a clear, evenly lit, full image of the finished work, plus signature and any edition marks. A good primary image is what a certificate's fingerprint commits to.
- 3
Record the essentials
Title, year, medium, dimensions, and materials. Be specific — these are what a buyer later matches against the physical work.
- 4
Issue a certificate
Generate a verifiable certificate with its own QR code, so anyone can confirm the work and its origin without taking your word for it.
- 5
Add events as they happen
Record exhibitions, loans, sales, and changes of owner when they occur, not months later. Each event extends the chain of custody while it's still easy to confirm.
- 6
Handle editions honestly
For prints, photographs, or casts, record each copy as its own item with its number, and be clear about edition size and proofs. Don't imply a copy is unique when it isn't.
What to photograph
- The full work, square-on, in even light with accurate colour.
- Your signature and any date or inscription.
- Edition numbering, foundry marks, or stamps.
- Notable details or textures, and the back or base where relevant.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Waiting until a work sells to document it — the easy window has usually closed.
- Vague materials or dimensions that a buyer can't match to the object.
- Overstating certainty: record what you know, and let honest gaps be gaps.
- Blurring editions — treating multiple copies as if each were one of a kind.
You own your record
On Attesian the record belongs to the artist and moves with you from gallery to gallery — and you're never charged to own the record of your own work. A gallery can start a provisional record, but claiming it keeps ownership with you.