Authenticity/Provenance

Provenance for all artworks

Provenance: ‘The place of origin or earliest known history of something’ – Wikipedia

Mbantua Gallery provides its customers with a profile of the artist for every piece of artwork. This profile records information that Mbantua Gallery has gathered on the artist and general information on the stories that the artist paints.  Mbantua Gallery encourages its artists to sign each piece of artwork either with a signature or a cross (some older artists cannot write their name).

Certificate of Authenticity

For original artworks that have a product code beginning with the letters MB, a Mbantua Gallery Certificate of Authenticity and a photo of the artist with their artwork is provided wherever possible.   This Certificate of Authenticity provides the buyer with a guarantee from Mbantua Gallery that the artwork purchased is a genuine Aboriginal artwork.  The Certificate of Authenticity comprises the following details about the painting:

• Catalogue No (A unique number assigned to each individual artwork)
• Size
• Medium
• Date Painted (this may be an approximate date for our much older pieces)
• Artist’s Name
• Artist’s Language Group
• Artist’s Country
• Title/Story of Artwork
• Description of the artwork’s story as told by the artist
• Signature of the Mbantua Gallery manager 

Each Certificate of Authenticity is printed onto Mbantua Gallery letterhead and provides exceptional provenance for each artwork.

Mbantua Gallery is a long time member of ArtTrade, the 'Australian Indigenous Art Trade Association'. As a member of Art Trade, Mbantua Gallery is bound by the Code of Ethics of the Association.  This provides a guideline for the authenticity of Aboriginal Artworks as well as fairness and ethical dealings with the artists and others.  Mbantua Gallery is also proud to be one of the first commercial Aboriginal Art Galleries to sign the Indigenous Art Code and support fair and ethical trade in Aboriginal Artwork.