ABSTRACT
During the 19th century, Spain was a minor force in the community of nations. Internal political problems and the grave situation of Spanish colonies overseas occupied the attention of the monarchy and government. The forger's level of competence clearly changed between 1872 and 1875, and the actual number of 'Egyptian-style' fakes also increased. The group of fakes that arrived in 1875 is contemporary with Rada y Delgado's Discurso, which supported the Egyptian origin for the whole corpus. During the 19th century, Spain swayed internal public opinion and international favour by claiming that her north African interventions were an assertion and reinforcement of her vested interests. The voyage of the war frigate'Arapiles' reflects Spain's low level of interest in- and involvement with- Egypt, both ancient and modern. One piece is of 'Egyptian-style' and resembles the former group in every respect. Once Rada y Delgado's interpretations were inte rnationally discredited, the production of fakes decreased and 'Egyptian-style' examples virtually disappeared.
