The 19th-Century Sardinian Bronze Idol Forgery Scandal
In 1840, King Carlo Alberto of Savoy acquired 330 bronze figurines, thought to be Sardinian-Phoenician relics, for an amount exceeding €400,000 in today's currency. These items were later identified as forgeries from a 19th-century scam that misled scholars such as Edward Gerhard and Ernest Renan. Archaeologist Gaetano Cara, who received funding from Carlo Alberto, sold authentic artifacts to prominent museums, benefiting himself while robbing Sardinia of its cultural heritage. The fraud was condemned by Tocco and Spano in 1849. The counterfeit pieces, crafted by unidentified forgers, were showcased until 1883, when Ettore Pais described them as 'ugly brass statuettes.' Giovanni Lilliu rediscovered the idols in 1974, and they are now displayed in various museums, awaiting a permanent home at Museo Arborense.
Key facts
- King Carlo Alberto of Savoy purchased 330 bronze statuettes in 1840 for over €400,000 (today's value).
- The statuettes were forgeries, part of a fraud that began in 1819 and lasted nearly 70 years.
- Scholars Edward Gerhard, Ernest Renan, and Charles Le Normant were among those fooled.
- Gaetano Cara, Efisio Luigi Tocco, and Giovanni Spano led excavations funded by Carlo Alberto.
- Cara sold genuine artifacts to the British Museum, Louvre, and Christie's.
- Tocco and Spano denounced the fraud in 1849 for personal gain.
- The forgeries were likely made by blacksmith Raimondo Mongia or Artillery Corporal Giuseppe Ullu.
- Giovanni Lilliu rediscovered the idols in 1974 and studied them until 1998.
- The idols are now exhibited at the MAN Museum in Nuoro in 'Il regno segreto' exhibition.
- The Museo Arborense in Oristano also holds the forged Carte d'Arborea.
Entities
Artists
- Gaetano Cara
- Efisio Luigi Tocco
- Giovanni Spano
- Vincenzo Crespi
- Leonardo De Prunner
- Alberto Lamarmora
- Ettore Pais
- Raimondo Mongia
- Giuseppe Ullu
- Giovanni Lilliu
- Giorgio Pellegrini
- Pablo Picasso
- Max Ernst
- Roberta Vanali
Institutions
- Museums of Cagliari and Turin
- Regio Museum of Cagliari
- British Museum
- Louvre
- Christie's
- Antiquarium Arborense
- Musei Reali di Torino
- MAN Museum Nuoro
- Museo Arborense
- Accademia dei Lincei
- University of Cagliari
- Exibart
- Artribune
Locations
- Sardinia
- Cagliari
- Turin
- Tharros
- Oristano
- Nuoro
- Italy