Floating signature

The signature of the artist applied over the finish, this term pertains to the signature placed on top of the varnish. Floating Signatures are not integrated into the works and are likely to be removed if the painting is cleaned or restored. Often a Floating Signature is fraudulent, and seeing one on a work of art is a signal to an authenticator that the work may be a forgery. Source: Ralph Mayer, "A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques"