A note on Benin's recent antiquities.(first word)

From: African Arts | Date: March 22, 2003| Author: | Copyright information

In the 1980s, ivories and bronzes misrepresented as Benin antiquities began to appear with regularity in the U.S. and Europe. The volume has steadily increased, so that duplicates and triplicates are now reaching the market. Various stories attempt to justify the introduction of these freshly aged artworks to the established Benin corpus. One popular version is that a "modern" Benin chief has inherited his family's shrines, and needing money, he is selling their furnishings. Whatever the accompanying explanation, the dealer will often accept a price below the object's "true" value ...

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