'Fake antiquity' collection of Kerala conman highlights skill of craftsmen

From 'Tipu Sultan's Throne' to 'Staff of Moses', Kerala man's 'fake antiquity' collection highlights the skills of craftsmen of Kerala. Most of the items could be even considered priceless owing to the high skills involved in their making.

While many articles in possession of the cheating case accused Monson Mavunkal were suspected to be around 50 years old, some were made recently by craftsmen in Kerala.

While the 'Throne of Tipu Sultan' was made at Cherthala in Alappuzha district on Kerala, some eye-catching wooden idols, including that of Lord Sri Krishna's 'Viswaroopam', were believed to be made in Muttathara, a region in Thiruvananthapuram city which is known for skilled craftsmen.

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The Kerala Cultural Affairs Department had identified Muttathara as a heritage village for wood carving as part of a project in collaboration with UNESCO. Craftsmen in the locality used to undertake major wood carving work for celebrities but were often exploited by middlemen, who sell the products for fancy prices.

The 'staff of Moses' among Mavunkal's collection was suspected to be around 50-year-old walking stick procured from a family in Palakkad district of Kerala, while the controversial copper plate manuscripts that came with bogus claims related to Sabarimala Ayyappa temple's tradition was suspected to be received from an ancient family in Thrissur. The coins that Judas got for betraying Jesus Christ among Mavunkal's collections was believed to be coins received during an excavation in central Kerala.

Chances of real ones too

Archaeologists who had a preliminary check of the 'antiquity' collection of Mavunkal were learnt to be assuming that a sword and Nataraja idol found among the collection could be more than 100 years old and hence could be real antiquities.

Police sources said that Mavunkal was suspected to have procured most items by assuring fancy prices by displaying it at his home turned Museum. The picture of known personalities, including top police officers, were suspected to be used by him as a 'certificate of his credibility.