prov ‧ e ‧ nance /ˈprɒv ə nəns $ ˈprɑː-/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[ Date: 1700-1800 ; Language: French ; Origin: provenir 'to come out, originate' ]
formal the place where something originally came from SYN origin :
The provenance of the paintings is unknown.
(of) dubious/doubtful provenance (=used to suggest that something may have been stolen)
artworks of doubtful provenance