Every lot passes three stages before it goes on view:
Physical examination — study of material, technique, wear and patina, and their consistency with the period to which the piece is attributed.
Provenance research — tracing the chain of ownership as far as possible, and reviewing documents, invoices and earlier auction records.
Specialist opinion — consulting a subject specialist where warranted, particularly for manuscripts, coins and antiquities.
What we cannot confirm, we say plainly in the description — "attributed to" or "in the style of" rather than a firm attribution.
We do not offer objects suspected of having left their country of origin unlawfully.