Real Old Things

Although we experience many cultural artifacts by way of reproductions, there remains a particular thrill in experiencing genuine objects-'real things'. I argue that genuineness is a property that possesses many dimensions of value, including aesthetic value. Typically, aesthetic qualities are perceptual, but genuineness is not a perceptual property. I investigate the aesthetic dimensions of genuineness by considering the role of touch in encounters with old things, using the example of an ancient bronze figurine whose reputation as genuine has waxed and waned, along with its aesthetic assessment.