| Having replicated antiquities of indigenous Native | | | | was literally shocking to see the amount of pieces in |
| American people for over a quarter of a century, I | | | | this collection. It was huge to say the least. There were |
| have come into contact with many forgers. One may | | | | pieces that were so beautiful, that it was hard to |
| ask," what is the difference between a replicator and | | | | imagine the hands of the past reaching out through |
| a forger?" A replicator reproduces an artifact as | | | | time, and handing these masterpieces to us. |
| closely resembling the ancient artifacts, in the same | | | | The man had collected these pieces over a seventy |
| way as the maker did hundreds or even thousands of | | | | year period of his life. He is a fine man and his family |
| years ago. The good forger, many times uses the | | | | are warm country folks. He worked hard to support |
| very same techniques, the difference lays in the | | | | his family; his honesty was clear and solid. Yet, at the |
| motive. | | | | end of the examination, I had to inform him that nearly |
| As a Native American teacher, I taught my students | | | | all the very valuable pieces, he had collected and paid |
| how our ancestors used the available resources to | | | | for, were fakes. They were modern day replicas that |
| create implements of survival. These are the life ways | | | | were made by a band of thieves who had a front |
| of people who had no modern conveniences to count | | | | man. This front man had gained the confidence of this |
| on, for clothing, cooking, hunting, and home building. I | | | | poor fellow over a long period of time, and, then began |
| made these implements and sold them as modern | | | | to sell him these fraudulent pieces, for some very large |
| made reproductions, to fund my student's supplies and | | | | amounts. |
| my travels to them. | | | | The family was both devastated and angry. It was a |
| The forger's do their work for manipulation and greed | | | | tragedy so deep that while I was at my hotel room I |
| for money. This statement may not have much impact | | | | wept for his anguish. It was overwhelming to think that |
| on a reader who has never invested a large sum of | | | | this incredibly trusting man had been taken advantage, |
| money, in what they thought might be a spear point of | | | | by some ruthless bandits. People with no souls or |
| ancient origin. Perhaps, a trusting soul spent several | | | | conscience, who can deceive and cheat in the name |
| thousands of dollars on a pot, which had a glorious | | | | of financial gain. |
| story attached to it's discovery. Later, the purchaser | | | | Collectors, be on guard, there are many fine |
| finds the pot was a modern made fake. | | | | authenticators, who try to defeat these horrible people, |
| I shall relate a tragedy of large proportions to you. I will | | | | who perpetrate theft by deception. There are also a |
| not divulge the names or locations, as it would be more | | | | number of forgers, who have a great motivation for |
| of a burden on this unfortunate family, than they are | | | | money, who can and have deceived even the best |
| already carrying. | | | | authenticators. Do your homework, and remember this, |
| Last year, I was called upon to authenticate a very | | | | if it just doesn't seem right somewhere inside your |
| large Native American collection. Some people had | | | | heart and mind, don't buy it. You'll probably be glad you |
| valued it at just under a million dollars. When I arrived | | | | didn't in the end. |
| and was escorted to the location of this collection, it | | | | |