Ongoing Research & Provenance

Every work of art has a story about where it has been and who has owned it. Provenance research is understanding the ownership history and origin of an art object. Before acquiring a work of art, the Rubin makes a substantial effort to obtain all available information and accurate written documentation attesting to its ownership history from sellers and donors. This information may include but is not limited to:

• The dates and physical locations of a work of art since its creation or discovery
• The exhibition and publication history of a work of art, if any
• Whether the donor or seller has a clear title to a work of art
• Whether there have been any claims to ownership of a work of art
• Whether a work of art appears in relevant databases and publications of stolen works
• The circumstances under which a work of art is being offered to the Museum

The Rubin adheres to high standards of ethical and professional practices. The Museum follows the guidelines set forth in its board-approved collections management policy, which is based on recommendations established by the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) that advocate adherence to the UNESCO Convention of 1970 (Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property) regarding acquisitions of ancient and archeological materials.

For works not defined as ancient and archeological, the Rubin currently follows the date of the Cultural Property Implementation Act (CPIA) by requiring a proven object history from the time of acquisition retroactively to 1983.

The Rubin is opposed to the illicit trafficking of stolen or looted cultural property and will not acquire any material known or suspected to be stolen or looted. If the Rubin learns that objects are claimed to have been stolen, looted, or illegally excavated, the Museum immediately addresses these claims and works collaboratively with the relevant authorities.

Most objects in the Rubin’s collection were donated from privately assembled collections, including the personal collection of Shelley and Donald Rubin, who founded the Museum with an initial gift of 1,318 objects. Much of their collection was purchased from New York galleries and auction houses starting in the 1970s. They did not remove or collect objects directly from their places of origin, but as was common at the time, many objects were acquired without much knowledge of their history of ownership. The Rubin Museum’s collecting policies have evolved since the Museum opened and become more rigorous as laws and guidelines in the field have changed. The Rubin is committed to researching the provenance or ownership history of these objects, along with other important scholarly considerations, and these endeavors take time and resources.

In 2016 the Rubin began a multiyear collection cataloging project in an effort to consolidate research, fill in gaps, and complete and verify key information on each work in the collection. The Museum’s professional curatorial and collections management staff guides this effort, augmented by the opinions and research of scholars around the world. Since 1997 most of the Museum’s collection has been published online at Himalayan Art Resources, an independently operated scholarly database, as well as on the Rubin’s website, and in the wide range of the Rubin’s research-oriented publications. The Museum’s goal is to have all works in the primary collection cataloged and available online to the public by 2030.

Upper Section of a Frieze/Torana (17th century) and Garland-Bearing Apsara (14th century)

In January 2022 the Rubin and Consulate General of Nepal in New York announced the transfer of ownership of two objects from the Museum’s permanent collection to Nepal: the Upper Section of a Frieze/Torana (17th century) and a lower part of a wooden faux-window decoration showing a Garland-Bearing Apsara (14th century).

In 2021 in immediate response to claims about the two objects, the Rubin engaged two scholars of Nepalese art to further examine and research the known provenance of the artworks. The Museum also collaborated with the Consulate General of Nepal, New York, in determining the origin of the objects and the possibility of returning them to their original sites. After thorough investigation, all parties collectively determined that these objects had been unlawfully removed from their original locations in Nepal.

The return ceremony took place at the Rubin on January 10, 2022, and in March, the objects arrived at the Department of Archaeology in Nepal. Upon the return of the Garland-Bearing Apsara, a partnership with the Itumbaha Conservation Society and Lumbini Buddhist University, Kathmandu, was formed to research, preserve, and display the collection of one of the oldest, largest, and most important monasteries in Kathmandu, Nepal. The galleries were unveiled in July 2023.

Mask of the Deity Bhairava (circa 16th century)

On December 4, 2023, the Rubin returned a circa 16th century mask of the deity Bhairava to Nepal after receiving new evidence concerning its provenance. The return ceremony took place at the Manhattan District Attorney’s and acting Consul General Mr. Bishnu Prasad Gautam received the object on behalf of the Government of Nepal. In immediate response to claims against the object, the Rubin placed the work under review with its collections team as well as independent researchers.

In March 2023 the Manhattan District Attorney’s office shared with the Rubin corroborating evidence that the mask had been unlawfully removed from its original location in Dolakha, Nepal, years before entering the Rubin’s collection. Upon review of this documentation, the Rubin deaccessioned the work, and on March 16, 2023, voluntarily agreed to turn the work over to the District Attorney’s office to facilitate the return to its lawful owner.