Antonio M Blanco obvious fake?

I appreciate the help guys.

Yes there is a lot of suspicious things about the COA (the I instead of 1, the fact it says Singapore, the fact the print is not on arches paper, etc).

The only encouraging things are that I am pretty certain the frame had not been opened previous to my finding the painting, and that it would be a pretty elaborate fake. Also the frame seems very characteristic of the frames he typically used.

They have the lithograph listed on Blanco’s official website. I suppose it’s possible someone bought the lithograph from the museum (not sure how much this might have cost) and manipulated the COA to make it seem like it was signed, limited edition, and on arches paper etc..??

Any suggestions as to who I could take it to in London who might be able to authenticate it?

Sam

 

Maybe they were using the brand name as a generic for watercolor paper, the way we use Kleenex as a common noun for 'facial tissue'. They did not capitalize it.

The pencil signature on the bottom margin looks like the same hand, but an abbreviation of the name, a bit more than initials. Why in 2 places?

My hypothesis is that they did not have a blank & had to find a workaround. They clearly had the blanks professionally printed at some time, but doubt the printer sent ones with uneven margins like this. The way the black areas are breaking up/fading out, looks like they were using labels that were copies of copies...:

By putting it in a typewriter.

It was not taken off & replaced. Why this had to be labeled & stamped before they could arrange for more blanks...? Maybe a customer wanting to buy it that minute. They made do with a label that had already been prepared for another work & was waiting to be affixed.

Even as I was noting that, a distant memory was floating up of my mother's Royal manual typewriter that was already old when she bought it. Think it did not have a key for 1, you used a lower case L.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp....nio-blanco-quotvirgins-of-bali-viquot-limited

Just found this. The COA is quite different.. hmm..

 

My COA is supposedly from 1987 though so I suppose it would perhaps be more primitive.. I am going to take this to an auction house to be sure. I have been procrastinating with this piece for too long clearly..