Switzerland Allocates $2.4 Million to Research Origins of Museum Collections

Switzerland’s Federal Office of Culture has announced $2.4 million in government funding to support research into the origins of artworks and antiquities held in the country’s museums.

The funding is intended to help trace the provenance of museum holdings, examining where objects came from and the history of their ownership.

Such research can help museums better understand how items entered their collections. It can also identify gaps in the records documenting an object’s journey from its place of origin to its current home.

The announcement did not specify which museums or collections would receive support, or provide a timetable for the research.