Replica

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Replica of the Thor's hammer from Scania. The original find was created c. 1000 AD. A copy of the Thor's hammer from Skane - Nachbildung des Thorshammers von Skane 02.jpg
Replica of the Thor's hammer from Scania. The original find was created c.1000 AD.

A replica is an exact (usually 1:1 in scale) copy or remake of an object, made out of the same raw materials, whether a molecule, a work of art, or a commercial product. The term is also used for copies that closely resemble the original, without claiming to be identical. Copies or reproductions of documents, books, manuscripts, maps or art prints are called facsimiles .

Contents

Replicas have been sometimes sold as originals, a type of fraud. Most replicas have more innocent purposes. Fragile originals need protection, while the public can examine a replica in a museum. Replicas are often manufactured and sold as souvenirs.

Not all incorrectly attributed items are intentional forgeries. In the same way that a museum shop might sell a print of a painting or a replica of a vase, copies of statues, paintings, and other precious artifacts have been popular through the ages.

However, replicas have often been used illegally for forgery and counterfeits, especially of money and coins, but also commercial merchandise such as designer label clothing, luxury bags and accessories, and luxury watches. In arts or collectible automobiles, the term "replica" is used for discussing the non-original recreation, sometimes hiding its real identity.[ citation needed ]

In motor racing, especially motorcycling, often manufacturers will produce a street version product with the colours of the vehicle or clothing of a famous racer. This is not the actual vehicle or clothing worn during the race by the racer, but a fully officially approved brand-new street-legal product in similar looks. Typically found in helmets, race suits/clothing, and motorcycles, they are coloured in the style of racers, and often carry the highest performance and safety specifications of any street-legal products. These high-performance race-look products termed "Replica", are priced higher and are usually more sought-after than plain colours of the same product.

Because of gun ownership restrictions in some locales, gun collectors create non-functional legal replicas of illegal firearms. Such replicas are also preferred to real firearms when used as a prop in a film or stage performance, generally for safety reasons. [1]

A prop replica is an authentic-looking duplicate of a prop from a video game, movie or television show.

Background

"Replicas represent a copy or forgery of another object and we often think of forgeries we think of paintings but, in fact, anything that is collectible and expensive is an attractive item to forge". [2]

Replicas have been made by people to preserve a perceived link to the past. This can be linked to a historical past or specific time-period or just to commemorate an experience. Replicas and reproductions of artifacts help provide a material representation of the past for the public. [ citation needed ]

Replicas of artifacts and art

A General Terracotta Replica Warrior
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1.1 m (3+1/2 ft) General Terracotta Warrior.jpg
A General Terracotta Replica Warrior 1.1 m (3+12 ft)

Replicas of artifacts and art have a purpose within museums and research. They are created to help with preserving of original artifacts. In many cases the original artifact may be too fragile and too much at risk of further damage to be on display, posing a risk to the artifact from light, environmental agents, and other risks greater than in secure storage. [3]

Replicas are created for the purpose of experimental archaeology where archaeologists and material analysts try to understand the ways that an artifact was created and what technologies and skills were needed for the people to create the artifact on display. [3]

Another reason for the creation of replica artifacts, is for museums to be able to send originals around the globe or allow other museums or events to educate people on the history of specific artifacts. Replicas are also put on display in museums when further research is being conducted on the artifact, but further display of the artifact in real or replica form is important for public access and knowledge. [3]

Authenticity and replicas

Replicas and their original representation can be seen as fake or real depending on the viewer. Good replicas take much education related to understanding all the processes and history that go behind the culture and the original creation. To create a good and authentic replica of an object, there is to be a skilled artisan or forger to create the same authentic experience that the original object provides. [3] This process takes time and much money to be done correctly for museum standards. [4]

Authenticity or real feeling presented by an object can be "described as the experience of an 'aura' of an original." [5] An aura of an object is what an object represents through its previous history and experience. [6]

Replicas work well in museum settings because they have the ability to look so real and accurate that people can feel the authentic feelings that they are supposed to get from the originals. Through the context and experience that a replica can provide in a museum setting, people can be fooled into seeing it as "original". [6]

The authenticity of a replica is important for the impression it gives off to tourists or observers. "According to Trilling, the original use of authenticity in tourism was in museums where experts wanted to determine 'whether objects of art are what they appear to be or are claimed to be, and therefore worth the price that is asked for them or ... worth the admiration they are being given'." [7] [8]

These reproductions and the values of authenticity presented to the public through artifacts in museums provide "truth". However, authenticity has a way of also being represented in what the public expects in a predictable manner or based on stereotypes within museums. [8] This idea of authenticity also relates to cultural artifacts like food, cultural activities, festivals, housing, and dress that helps to homogenize the cultures that are being represented and make them seem static. [8]

For luxury goods, the same authentic feel has to be present for consumers to want to buy a "fake" designer bag or watch that provides them with the same feelings and desired experiences, but as well achieves the look of higher class.

Examples of replicas

The replica Difference Engine No. 2 in the Science Museum, London 050114 2529 difference.jpg
The replica Difference Engine No. 2 in the Science Museum, London
Replica of a 1932 Bugatti Type 41 "Esders Roadster Royale" Bugatti Esders Roadster Royale.jpg
Replica of a 1932 Bugatti Type 41 "Esders Roadster Royale"

Replicas and reproductions are also for purely consumption and personal value. Through souvenirs people can own their very own physical representation of their experience or passions. People can buy on-line full size replicas (museum-quality) of the Rosetta Stone [9] or prints and museum-quality copies of the Mona Lisa and other famous pieces of art. [10]

For example, Difference Engine No. 2, designed by Charles Babbage in the 19th century, was reconstructed from original drawings studied by Allan Bromley in the 1980s and is now on display at the Science Museum in London, England. A second example is Stephenson's Rocket where a replica was built in 1979, following the original design fairly closely, but with some adaptations.

In China the terra-cotta warriors can be recreated to be personalized for customers. The "Talented craftspeople use their hands and proper tools reproducing every masterwork precisely in the same manner as the royal craftsmen did 2200 years ago. They are made from the same local clay as the originals and constructed essentially in the same ancient method." [11] These warriors can come in a variety of sizes and provide a very realistic and authentic experience with their own personal warrior.

The Barcelona Pavilion was built in 1929 and demolished in 1930. In 1986 a replica was built on the same site.

As the white mark prestige comes from the imitation of iPhone, the white marks are the most popular brands in the world. Knock-off brand label fashions and accessories like Louis Vuitton, Coach, Chanel, and Rolex are major labels that often are copied.

Replicas can also be used for re-enactment purposes, for example replicas of steel helmets and leather equipment used in WW2.

Issues and controversies

Controversies with replicas (used in museums), are associated with who owns the past.

With works of art museums assert their intellectual property rights for replicas and reproduction of images which many museums use commercial licensing for providing access to images. Issues are arising with more images being available on the internet and it being free access. [12]

Artists can claim copyright infringement related to displays of their work in a context they did not approve of which can be the creation of replicas of their pieces. [13]

With replica artifacts the copies to be "museum-quality" have to reach a high standard and can cost a lot of money to be produced. [3]

Replica artifacts (copies) can provide an authentic view but represents more of the subjectivities of what people expect and desire from their museum experiences and the cultures they learn about. [14]

With copies of retail and other counterfeit goods there is a legal issue related to copyright and trademark ownership. An example of the discussion taking place around the reproduction of art and cultural heritage is the Victoria & Albert Museum's ReACH Initiative. [15] Dialogues on the "first original copy" and the role of blockchain technologies in authenticating replicas, and ownership is taking shape. [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Authentication</span> Act of proving an assertion

Authentication is the act of proving an assertion, such as the identity of a computer system user. In contrast with identification, the act of indicating a person or thing's identity, authentication is the process of verifying that identity. It might involve validating personal identity documents, verifying the authenticity of a website with a digital certificate, determining the age of an artifact by carbon dating, or ensuring that a product or document is not counterfeit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forgery</span> Process of making, adapting, or imitating objects to deceive

Forgery is a white-collar crime that generally refers to the false making or material alteration of a legal instrument with the specific intent to defraud. Tampering with a certain legal instrument may be forbidden by law in some jurisdictions but such an offense is not related to forgery unless the tampered legal instrument was actually used in the course of the crime to defraud another person or entity. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Image</span> Visual artifact that depicts or records perception

An image is a visual representation. An image can be two-dimensional, such as a drawing, painting, or photograph, or three-dimensional, such as a carving or sculpture. Images may be displayed through other media, including a projection on a surface, activation of electronic signals, or digital displays; they can also be reproduced through mechanical means, such as photography, printmaking, or photocopying. Images can also be animated through digital or physical processes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Living history</span> Historical reenactment

Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to reenact a specific event in history, living history is similar to, and sometimes incorporates, historical reenactment. Living history is an educational medium used by living history museums, historic sites, heritage interpreters, schools and historical reenactment groups to educate the public or their own members in particular areas of history, such as clothing styles, pastimes and handicrafts, or to simply convey a sense of the everyday life of a certain period in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Counterfeit</span> Making a copy or imitation which is represented as the original

To counterfeit means to imitate something authentic, with the intent to steal, destroy, or replace the original, for use in illegal transactions, or otherwise to deceive individuals into believing that the fake is of equal or greater value than the real product. Counterfeit products are fakes or unauthorized replicas of the real product. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product. The word counterfeit frequently describes both the forgeries of currency and documents as well as the imitations of items such as clothing, handbags, shoes, pharmaceuticals, automobile parts, unapproved aircraft parts, watches, electronics and electronic parts, software, works of art, toys, and movies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Ossuary</span> 1st-century limestone box

The James Ossuary is a 1st-century limestone box that was used for containing the bones of the dead. An Aramaic inscription meaning "Jacob (James), son of Joseph, brother of Yeshua" is cut into one side of the box. The ossuary attracted scholarly attention due to its apparent association with the Christian holy family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curator</span> Content specialist charged with managing an institutions collections

A curator is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the particular institution and its mission. The term "curator" may designate the head of any given division, not limited to museums. Curator roles include "community curators", "literary curators", "digital curators", and "biocurators".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cave of Altamira</span> Cave and archaeological site with prehistoric paintings in Spain

The Cave of Altamira is a cave complex, located near the historic town of Santillana del Mar in Cantabria, Spain. It is renowned for prehistoric cave art featuring charcoal drawings and polychrome paintings of contemporary local fauna and human hands. The earliest paintings were applied during the Upper Paleolithic, around 36,000 years ago. The site was discovered in 1868 by Modesto Cubillas and subsequently studied by Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art forgery</span> Creation and trade of falsely credited art

Art forgery is the creation and sale of works of art which are falsely credited to other, usually more famous artists. Art forgery can be extremely lucrative, but modern dating and analysis techniques have made the identification of forged artwork much simpler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archaeological forgery</span> Manufacture of supposedly ancient items

Archaeological forgery is the manufacture of supposedly ancient items that are sold to the antiquities market and may even end up in the collections of museums. It is related to art forgery.

The Jehoash Inscription is the name of a controversial artifact claimed to have been discovered in a construction site or Muslim cemetery near the Temple Mount of Jerusalem in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exhibitions of artifacts from the tomb of Tutankhamun</span>

Exhibitions of artifacts from the tomb of Tutankhamun have been held at museums in several countries, notably the United Kingdom, Soviet Union, United States, Canada, Japan, and France.

Digital artifactual value, a preservation term, is the intrinsic value of a digital object, rather than the informational content of the object. Though standards are lacking, born-digital objects and digital representations of physical objects may have a value attributed to them as artifacts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum theatre</span>

Museum theatre is the use of theatre and theatrical techniques by a museum for educational, informative, and entertainment purposes. It can also be used in a zoo, an aquarium, an art gallery, and at historic sites. It is generally performed by professional actors. Varieties of museum theatre include historical characters, puppetry, movement and music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Winter (philately)</span> German stamp forger

Peter Winter is a stamp reproducer. He also trained as an opera singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Museum and Research Center of Altamira</span>

The National Museum and Research Center of Altamira, also known as Altamira Museum, is a center dedicated to the conservation of, research into and the sharing of information about the cave of Altamira in Santillana del Mar, named a World Heritage Site by Unesco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Authenticity in art</span>

Authenticity in art is manifest in the different ways that a work of art, or an artistic performance, can be considered authentic. The initial distinction is between nominal authenticity and expressive authenticity. In the first sense, nominal authenticity is the correct identification of the author of a work of art; of how closely an actor or an actress interprets a role in a stageplay as written by the playwright; of how well a musician's performance of an artistic composition corresponds to the composer's intention; and how closely an objet d’art conforms to the artistic traditions of its genre. In the second sense, expressive authenticity is how much the work of art possesses inherent authority of and about its subject, and how much of the artist's intent is in the work of art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shadwell forgeries</span> Mid-19th century forgeries of mediaeval lead artefacts

The Shadwell forgeries, most commonly known as Billy and Charley Forgeries, or "Billys and Charleys", but also called Shadwell Dock forgeries, were mid-19th-century forgeries of medieval lead and lead-alloy artefacts. The name "Billy and Charley" derives from William "Billy" Smith and Charles "Charley" Eaton, who were responsible for the large-scale manufacture of the objects between 1857 and 1870. Some leading antiquarians were fooled by the forgeries, despite their being crudely made, due to Smith and Eaton's limited metalworking skills and illiteracy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conservation and restoration of painting frames</span> Preservation of heritage collections

The conservation and restoration of painting frames is the process through which picture frames are preserved. Frame conservation and restoration includes general cleaning of the frame, as well as in depth processes such as replacing damaged ornamentation, gilding, and toning.

Fauxbergé is a term coined to generally describe items that are faking a higher quality or status and in specific terms relates to the House of Fabergé, which was a Russian jewellery firm founded in 1842 in Saint Petersburg and nationalised by the Bolsheviks in 1918. The term was first mentioned in a publication by auctioneer and Fabergé book author Archduke Géza of Austria in his article "Fauxbergé," published in Art and Auction in 1994. He also used it during the exhibition "Fabergé in America" in 1996 and subsequent later ones.

References

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  9. "Rosetta stone replicas".
  10. "Mona Lisa posters". All Posters. Archived from the original on 9 February 2011.
  11. "Factory Tour Lintong, Xi'an: How to make Xian Qin Terracotta Warrior Statues Soldiers?".
  12. Hamma, Kenneth (November 2005). "Public Domain Art in an Age of Easier Mechanical Reproducibility". D-Lib Magazine. 11 (11). doi: 10.1045/november2005-hamma . Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  13. Bamberger, Alan. "Copyright Infringement, Reproduction Rights, and Artist Careers". The art business. com. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
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  15. "ReACH (Reproduction of Art and Cultural Heritage)". Victoria & Albert Museum.
  16. Ch’ng E. (2019) The First Original Copy And The Role Of Blockchain In The Reproduction Of Cultural Heritage, PRESENCE 27(1) 151-162.