Table of Contents Faking the Ancient Andes Karen O. Bruhns; Nancy L. Kelker 224 pp. / 6.00 x 9.00 / Nov, 2009 Hardback (978-1-59874-394-4) Paperback (978-1-59874-395-1) Hardback ($89.00) Paperback ($29.95)    Related Interest   - Archaeology   - Cultural Studies & the Arts   - Heritage Management and Heritage Studies   - Latin American Studies   - Museum Studies & Practice Nasca pots, Quimbaya figurines, Moche porn figures, stone shamans. Fakes and forgeries run rampant in the Andean art collections of international museums and private individuals. Authors Karen Bruhns "Faking the Ancient Andes is an excellent reference for anyone fascinated by the renowned stories of South American forgeries and fakes. If you appreciate writers who are equally appalled and amused at the antiquity market, then this is a great companion. For the collector, the authors also offer detailed descriptions of recognizable fakes. In the end you feel fairly convinced that the majority of popular pre-Columbian antiques have been copied and that it will take a lot of unraveling to understand what is genuine. In other words, buy antiquities with a lot of caution. Read the complete review online at: http://heritage-key.com/review/faking-ancient-andes" - Kate Follington, Heritage Key "This is a lively and engaging book that takes on a theme that many people wish to ignore. The reality is that forgeries of antiquities are found throughout the legal and illicit marketplace, in private collections, and in museum collections. Fakes and are even illustrated in our textbooks. The authors have brought together an impressive array of first hand evidence showing how the ever-growing number of forgeries has not only distorted the unethical antiquities market, but is also distorting our view of history. This is an important book that should be read by anyone concerned with our cultural heritage. " - Charles Stanish, Director, Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, UCLA and Nancy Kelker examine the phenomenon in this eye-opening volume. They discuss the most commonly forged classes and styles of artifacts, many of which were being duplicated centuries ago. More important, they describe the system whereby these objects get made, purchased, authenticated, and placed in major museums as well as the complicity of forgers, dealers, curators, and collectors in this system. Unique to this volume are biographies of several of the forgers, who describe their craft and how they are able to effectively fool connoisseurs and specialists. An important, accessible introduction to pre-Columbian art fraud for archaeologists, art historians, and museum professionals alike. A parallel volume by the same authors discusses fakes in Mesoamerican archaeology.