The nature of contemporary classical collecting is explored by studying sev
en celebrated new collections and exhibitions. The concept of provenance is
defined in terms of an object's origins, or findspot, and its modern story
, or history. The several hundred objects in these collections are analyzed
in terms of their findspot and history since unearthing. These show that t
he dismaying picture previously demonstrated for Cycladic antiquities appli
es to classical objects across the board: the overwhelming majority have no
declared or credible findspots and simply surface as orphans without histo
ry. Some of the many material aspects of this central fact are explored.