The History of Fakes in Pre-Columbian Mexican Art

Batres identified the Tlatelolco district in Mexico City as the main center of forgery from the early colonial period.

“La falsificación de antigüedades en México tiene historia curiosísima y abarca varias épocas, desde el siglo XVII hasta nuestros días. El emporio de la alfarería fantástica e imitativa de las antigüedades mexicanas fue un barrio de la Ciudad de México llamado Tlatelolco.”

Translation

“The falsification of antiquities in Mexico has a most curious history spanning several periods, from the seventeenth century to the present day. The center of fantastic and imitative pottery of Mexican antiquities was a district of Mexico City called Tlatelolco.”

From the late sixteenth century, demand from conquistadors, clergy, and European collectors led indigenous potters in Tlatelolco — already skilled in utilitarian blackware — to produce “antique-style” pieces in series: serpent-handled jars, seated figures, coiled snakes, and zoomorphic flutes.

This production continued with notable consistency into the mid-nineteenth century.

Forgers demonstrated considerable technical skill and used a wide range of materials.

Materials

• Terracotta (the most common);
• Italian alabaster (1830–1866);
• Human and animal bone;
• Metals: copper, gold, silver, bronze, lead;
• Obsidian;
• Shell;
• Coconut shell;
• Crushed cantera stone mixed with tar.

Techniques documented by Batres

• Fine wax models with copper electroplating;
• Copper matrices for codices;
• Gold pieces cast in a single operation;
• Obsidian carving using steel tools after petroleum and emery preparation.

Batres recorded acquiring over eighty matrices used for producing fake codices.

Focus: The Dogs of Colima

Among the most frequently forged categories are the perros de Colima (or tlalchichis), hollow ceramic sculptures from Western Mexico (c. 200 BC – AD 500).

A 2017 study by Dr. Eduardo Pérez de Heredia Puente (INAH) for the Mexican Museum of San Francisco examined nearly 2,000 pieces and concluded that only about 4% were authentic and of museum quality, while roughly 96% were fake or unverifiable.

On the current secondary market and in private collections without expert authentication, the proportion of fakes among Colima dogs is estimated at 85–95%.

Common signs of forgery include excessive symmetry, invented poses, anachronistic attributes, artificially uniform patina, and inconsistent wall thickness or weight.

The Carta de la Peregrinación de los Azteca

Long regarded as authentic, this document was later identified by Batres as apocryphal due to European perspective, rounded arches, and other anachronistic features.

The Texcoco Vase

Exhibited at the 1878 Paris Universal Exposition, the vase was exposed as a forgery when added reliefs detached under humidity.

Batres described a diverse group of artisans — including Oaxacan potters, painters, and sculptors specializing in Zapotec, Mixtec, and Aztec styles. Many worked in difficult conditions yet achieved high technical skill. They often collaborated with dealers supplying the international antiquities market.

The most important modern studies are those of Nancy L. Kelker and Karen O. Bruhns (Faking Ancient Mesoamerica, 2010, and Faking the Ancient Andes, 2010). The authors show that old collections offer no guarantee of authenticity, that forgers respond to market tastes, and that some fakes can appear more appealing than genuine pieces. They estimate that more than 40% of Mesoamerican Pre-Columbian objects in museums and private collections may be forgeries.

Understanding the long history of forgery helps in their identification. While techniques change, the underlying principles remain the same: stylistic imitation, artificial aging, and the exploitation of collectors’ trust.

Contemporary expertise relies on a multidisciplinary approach combining iconography, tool-mark analysis, archaeological context, thermoluminescence, spectroscopy, and physico-chemical testing. This integrated method is essential for preserving the integrity of our knowledge of ancient cultures.