Fake art stars in New York show
An exhibition which has opened in New York takes the unlikely step of placing fake works of art on display.
The Brooklyn Museum, like many others, began buying ancient Coptic and Pagan sculptures after World War II.
However, the museum's curators recently discovered that roughly a third of their collection is fake.
The resulting exhibition places genuine sculptures from the 4th Century AD alongside a small group of forgeries, probably from the mid-20th Century.
Experts say there is no way of knowing exactly who carved the limestone fakes, though one theory suggests they may have been produced by prisoners-of-war in Egypt.
Some of the fakes are easy to spot, but others display a high level of craftsmanship. Set among them are genuine works that have been touched up or re-carved.
The forgeries place a greater emphasis on Christian iconography than many of the real works - a sign, say experts, of them being made to order for European and North American buyers.
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The Brooklyn Museum, like many others, began buying ancient Coptic and Pagan sculptures after World War II.
However, the museum's curators recently discovered that roughly a third of their collection is fake.
The resulting exhibition places genuine sculptures from the 4th Century AD alongside a small group of forgeries, probably from the mid-20th Century.
Experts say there is no way of knowing exactly who carved the limestone fakes, though one theory suggests they may have been produced by prisoners-of-war in Egypt.
Some of the fakes are easy to spot, but others display a high level of craftsmanship. Set among them are genuine works that have been touched up or re-carved.
The forgeries place a greater emphasis on Christian iconography than many of the real works - a sign, say experts, of them being made to order for European and North American buyers.