Style, you
either have it or you
don't. And if you have it, you have it
all the time.The Rogue's Gambit
by Tux Toledo
I
had no idea how the stone bird had become nestled in the pocket of my
Barber Pennine shooting jacket.
"It's
Moche, sir." James said. He studied the small piece of
sculpture
and then handed it back to me. "It's from between the first
and
eighth century A.D."
The bird about six inches tall with
turquoise eyes and roughly carved wings. It looked fragile
and
indestructible at the same time.
"So it's South American," I said.
"Peruvian to be exact," he elucidated.
"Is it authentic?"
"Very," he said.
I studied the bird more closely.
"James, isn't it illegal to export antiquities out of Peru?"
"It is, sir."
I
put the bird down and stared out the window. It was a typical
Tuesday in San Francisco's Marina District. A sea wind
marched
down Cervantes Street and swirled through the gates protecting the
affluent yards facing the harbor.
"Then I wonder how this bird found its way to California?" I asked.
"There
are always ways, sir. Sometimes they are shipped from Peru to
Bolivia where they are coated in clay and stamped 'Made in
Bolivia'. They are then shipped to North America or Europe as
cheap Bolivian pottery. Upon arrival the clay coating is
removed
and..."
"Voila', a genuine Peruvian antiquity ready for someone's private
collection. Very clever."
"Indeed, sir."
© 2008 David Biagini