YOU ARE HERE:>>REAL or FAKE>>Bactrian choirite figurines, page 5.

 

Let's look at the type and quality of the stone work.

The cutting on the well attested examples is confident and particularly neatly done. It appears to be a mixture of deeply incised lines and more superficial lines.

How does this example compare?

 




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Rather poor quality of work.




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In the decoration composed of shorter lines the cutting is mechanically unaided, rather imprecise and altogether  messy. There is quite lot of over-run as you can see.

 

I am unsure if the longer, very regular lines have been cut with a modern tool.

 

Very few of the better attested examples have extended straight lines apart from this one below left. The one in the middle is from a well known seller of fakes and the one on the right is "our" one.

 





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The question is whether these very regular and long straight cut lines on our example are cut with the aid of a mecahnical tool of modern type.

One cannot see any evidence of chatter marks along the edges which might be seen with a non mechanical hand held chisel type of cutting implement.






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A further question arises in my mind.

As the three with the long straight lines all employ this particular diagonally hatched triangular decorative motif, are they actually all from the same workshop?

Are they, all three, fakes?

I leave the question open as to whether the long straight lines are evidence of modern tooling.

But what of the many instances of more superficial scratched lines, seemingly smoothing attempts, where we see long straight and parallel lines?

Is this evedence of the use of a modern steel file? They did not have files when these were supposedly made.

At the moment, I leave that question open as well.




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There is however no question at all in my mind that this example is a modern fake; indeed, a not particularly well made one.

Comments and questions are much welcomed.

2020

Message From  Jerry (with these images)


Browsing online today, look what I saw! On what appears to be a perfectly respectable gallery website  Only 9000 Euros!

 

They write:

There is no doubt about the kind of sculpture, because of the extraordinary decoration with incised lines on the front part is based on triangles and diamonds.

 

The incised lines are actually distinctly un-extraodinary! Many genuine examples do have both triangle and diamond patterns , but this one doesn't actually: it has pendant triangles alone.

 




Seems a bit much! When I borrowed it all those years ago to examine and photograph the then owner was perfectly well aware that it was not ancient. 

I could have bought it for very little money but didn't want to own it.


Jerry will alert the gallery owner.

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More examples of Bactrian Chlorite figurines on the market>>>>>>