The great Mesoamerican culture that existed before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and 16th centuries left many interesting ancient artifacts. Pre-Columbian archaeological fraud has been one of the more controversial topics in art and museum history, where scholars discuss the complex, interconnected trading of fake archaeological items. A ripoff can potentially destroy the reputation of ancient art collections and curated museum exhibits, but the upside is that continuous dialogue and discussion can improve the appraisal of such items and the knowledge about the historical foundation of these objects.

1. Great Mesoamerican ancient artifacts in the American Museum of
Natural History
posted Jan 24, 2018, 12:48 PM by Sadigh Gallery [ updated Jan 24, 2018, 12:50 PM ]
The great Mesoamerican culture that existed before the Spanish colonization
of the Americas in the 15th and 16th centuries left many interesting ancient
artifacts. Pre-Columbian archaeological fraud has been one of the more
controversial topics in art and museum history, where scholars discuss the
complex, interconnected trading of fake archaeological items. A ripoff can
potentially destroy the reputation of ancient art collections and curated
museum exhibits, but the upside is that continuous dialogue and discussion
can improve the appraisal of such items and the knowledge about the
historical foundation of these objects.
Image source: commons.wikimedia.org
One of the foremost custodians of the world’s artifacts is the American Museum of Natural
History in New York. The Hall of Mexico and Central America is a section that houses a lot of
archaeological and ethnographic objects from those locations. A distinct item that represents
much of the Olmec artistic tradition is the Kunz Axe, a jade sculpture that resembles an axe
head but may have been used only in ritual settings. Like in many ancient cultural artifacts
found all over the world and across various traditions, it depicts an anthropomorphic figure
which is believed to be a shaman that turned himself into a jaguar.
Another really interesting piece is from the classic period of Mesoamerican
history. The clay censer with an elaborate cover of many intricate parts was
found in the great Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacán. The object was probably
used in rituals for the dead that might have involved communicating with
them.

2. Image source: pixabay.com
Sadigh Gallery takes pride in providing quality service to every one of their
customers, and their satisfaction matters mosttothe team. The items they sell,
unlike other sources, are never fake. To avoid fraud, all of the sold antiquities
are guaranteed authentic, and all items are sent with a Lifetime Certificate of
Authenticity to provide secure packing for safe delivery. To learn more about
ancient artifacts, visit this blog.