You bought a fake.
In a statement Monday, the government said it had determined that 22 of the 80 Mexican pieces that went up for auction June 14 in Paris were skillfully done reproductions. The fakes brought in 245,000 euros ($301,000 U.S.) – a pretty good haul for phony pieces.
The statement said that French and German authorities had permitted experts from the National Institute of Anthropology and History to study the auction lot first hand to check the provenance and examine authenticity. That’s when the Mexican experts determined that the lot contained fakes.
In addition to several funerary masks, the fakes included a Nayarit culture cup holder and figurine, a Zapotec urn, an Aztec skull crafted out of basalt, and a statuette from the Veracruz culture. Click here for the auction house catalog.
Like many countries with a rich archaeological heritage, Mexico is attempting to recover looted pieces and prevent the sale of relics smuggled out of the nation.
Thanks for adding a focus on Mexico. For years I have noticed we know more about what is happening in Israel than in Mexico. About time that changed. Mexico has 100 million people and is a neighbor with big problems. Problems that will get larger as time goes by.
Posted by: dilbert dogbert | 06/30/2010 at 10:58 AM