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PAPERS RELATING TO ANTHROPOLOGY. 



that 110 oue bavinj;- a wide knowledge of antiquities could be deceived. 

 They are tlje work of chihlren or of extremely ignorant persons. Not- 

 withstanding this fact, hundreds of pieces are found in our museums. 

 They are not worth reproducing here. In past years some better work 

 was done so far as execution is concerned, and it would appear that con- 

 siderable attention was paid to the imitation of antique forms. A few 

 examples sent from Mexico several years ago are now in the Museum at 

 Washington. Characteristic forms are given in Figs. 10 and 11. These 

 are types of forms most frequently imitated. 



Pigs. 10 ami 11. — Statuettes in brown clay. 



An unusually i)retentious piece having close affinities with the speci- 

 mens considered above is found in the INIexican IMuseum. It is a heavy- 

 set human figure, about half the size of life, and was in 18S4 catalogued 

 as the God of War, Iluitzilopoxtli. It may seem that I venture too much 

 in associating such a piece with fraudulent antiquities. Tarn convinced, 

 however, that it is not ancient, and that it was not made to satisfy the 

 normal demands of aboriginal art. It is shown in Fig. 12, 



Another noteworthy piece, Fig. 13, also in the Mexican ^luseum, 

 should be placed in the category of modern fabrications, if not of frauds. 

 The personage represented appears to be an American edition of the 

 dying gladiator. He has received a fatal wound ; his niacana or toothed 

 club, has fallen from his hand and his head falls backward in death. 



