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The Market: Souvenirs & Archaeological Replicas
(El Mercado: Curiosidades y Réplicas Arqueológicas)
While some Mexican crafts are used by their makers, most soon find their way to a market of some sort. Utilitarian crafts are sold by their makers at traditional weekly markets in rural towns and villages. Decorative work for sale to outsiders is usually sold to secondary dealers. An active commercial market has developed for most of the items in this exhibit. Many are derived from a traditionally functional object, such as a mask or pot, while other forms are innovative, created expressly for sale, such as the items of folk painting and sculpture.
At the center of this market are tourists, both Mexican and foreign. While some tourist novelties are cheap, such as ceramic salt and pepper shakers, others, such as the silver sombrero, appeal to people with means. Many are decorated with the Mexican national icon: an eagle perched on a cactus, holding a snake in its mouth.
Ancient artifacts are especially desired by travelers. Some replicas are fakes, made to deceive the purchaser, while others are just modern versions of ancient forms. Some may be partly ancient but modified. Only in extreme cases can one prove that an object is a fake. Instead, scholars make probable determinations based on an accumulation of material and contextual features. This section contains some exquisite objects that are not what they seem to be.
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