Ownership, Authenticity & Provenance

Every artwork leaves a trace.

Some traces fade.

Some survive.

 Selle Archive exists to preserve the authenticity, ownership history, and provenance of each artwork beyond the moment it leaves the studio. 

Every artwork in the Selle Archive is a one-of-a-kind original created by the artist.

Traditionally, ownership of an artwork is documented through paper certificates, receipts, gallery records, and trust between buyers and sellers.

The Selle Archive uses NFTs to create a permanent system of authenticity and provenance that can follow an artwork throughout its lifetime.

The goal is simple:

• To verify authenticity
• To document ownership history
• To preserve provenance
• To strengthen the connection between artist and collector

The NFT is not the artwork itself.

The artwork remains physical.

The NFT acts as its digital record.

Each NFT serves as:

• A certificate of authenticity
• A provenance record
• A record of ownership history
• A connection between the physical and digital artwork

When transferred together, ownership of the NFT represents the recognized ownership record to the associated physical artwork.

No.

Many collectors purchase artworks without any previous experience with blockchain technology.

Collectors may choose to:

• Receive both the physical artwork and NFT
• Receive only the physical artwork
• Hold only the NFT while the artwork remains stored by the artist

The system is designed to work alongside traditional art collecting.

Physical artworks may sometimes be sold, gifted, inherited, or transferred through traditional means without the NFT being transferred.

In these situations, the NFT and the physical artwork may become separated.

When the artist becomes aware of such a transfer, the NFT metadata may be updated to reflect the current status of the artwork.

This helps preserve an accurate provenance record and allows future collectors to understand the relationship between the NFT and the physical artwork.

Each NFT contains status information describing the current known condition or location of the artwork.

Examples include:

• With Artist -  The artwork is currently held by the artist. 
• On Exhibition -  The artwork is currently being displayed in a public exhibition or gallery setting. 
• In Transit -   The artwork is currently being transported between locations, exhibitions, collectors, or storage facilities.  
• With Collector -  The artwork is in the custody of a collector who also owns the associated NFT. The NFT and physical artwork remain connected.
• Separated from NFT -  The artwork is physically held by a collector, but the associated NFT is owned by another party or remains under the artist's ownership.  The artwork and NFT continue to exist independently, but no longer share common ownership. 
• Missing -  The current location of the artwork cannot be verified. This may include lost, misplaced, untraceable, or potentially stolen artworks.
• Destroyed -  The artwork has been permanently destroyed, lost beyond recovery, or damaged to a degree that it can no longer be considered intact. The NFT and provenance record remain part of the artwork's historical archive.

These updates form part of the artwork's provenance history.

Canvas Works NFTs participate in the Selle Archive collector rewards program. 

A portion of royalty-generating transactions may be allocated to the Selle Archive Treasury and periodically distributed to eligible NFT holders.

Because physical artworks may sometimes change hands outside of blockchain transactions, participation in the rewards program depends on the NFT maintaining its recognized connection to the physical artwork.

NFTs that no longer represent the recognized ownership claim to the associated physical artwork may become ineligible for future reward distributions.

The purpose of this system is to encourage accurate provenance records and maintain the long-term integrity of the archive.

Collector rewards should not be viewed as an investment, financial product, or guaranteed return.

Each artwork may include:

• Digital certificate of authenticity
• Artwork documentation
• Provenance records
• Blockchain verification through Hedera

Together, these elements create a long-term authenticity system that extends beyond traditional paper certificates.

Ownership of the NFT or physical artwork does not automatically transfer copyright, reproduction rights, or commercial licensing rights.

Unless explicitly agreed otherwise in writing, all intellectual property rights remain with the artist.

The purpose of Selle Archive is not to turn artworks into financial assets.

It exists to preserve authenticity, provenance, and the story of each artwork over time.

The blockchain record is not intended to replace the artwork.

It exists to preserve its history.

Because long after an artwork leaves the studio, its story continues.