Great Fake Exposition

Imitation, plagiarism, copying and non-attribution have become major political and social issues of our time, but it's often forgotten that fakes and what we now call pirated copies go way back – in fact, all the way to prehistory. This fascinating exhibition explores the complex relationship between 'real' and 'fake' through historical examples, focusing on the historical and social context in which fakes appear and are separated from the 'genuine', and displays imitations and forgeries ranging from fake Vietnamese pottery and wrongly attributed letters to imitation sake and 'mermaid mummies'. Authentic items are also displayed next to the fakes – can you spot the difference?