Djenne Figure

Djenne is a village in Mali near the site of Timbuktu. An original Djenne terracotta would be 400 to 600 years old. They are extremely valuable. A figure of a ram, having been verified by several experts and tested, sold at auction for $275,000. It was a fake or actually part fake. The rear part was original. The rest was forged.
Rather than tell the tale I suggest this link.  
http://www.coupdefoudre.com/CurrentArticle/TerracottaForgeries.html
It's a great story. If you Goggle images of Djenne terracottas you will see similar examples to this piece. Almost certainly a forgery but if you read the above link, you will discover the great artisanship that creates them and the incredible lengths gone to in order to fool experts and modern science.