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New Mexico sues dealers over fake Indian items
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Filed Under: Arts & Entertainment | Law

New Mexico Attorney General Gary King filed lawsuits against two art dealers in Santa Fe, accusing them of selling fake Indian art.

King said Golden Bear Trading and Santa Fe Indian Jewelry sold knock-offs of jewelry by renowned Navajo artist Calvin Begay. "There's a lot of people making my jewelry and then putting my name on it," Begay told The Santa Fe New Mexican.

Representatives of Golden Bear denied the accusation and said the store received items from a dealer that does business with Begay. But Begay denied producing the items sold at Golden Bear.

The lawsuits accused both dealers of New Mexico Indian Arts and Crafts Sales Act. "The sale of fraudulently represented Indian art is a huge problem in New Mexico. Conservative estimates suggest that at least 50% of what is being sold as authentic Indian handmade art is manufactured by non-Natives, in many cases from foreign countries," King said in a statement

Get the Story:
AG accuses S.F. jeweler of dealing fakes (The Santa Fe New Mexican 9/3)

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