Una “reliquia coloniale”. Le apparizioni degli occhiali di Omar al-Mukhtar tra Roma e Tripoli

This article addresses an instance of non-restitution within the Italian post-colonial context. In doing so, it aims to draw attention not only to totemic, highly symbolic objects within the context of imperialism, looting and appropriation, but also to the importance of hoaxes, forgeries and copies, which can be equally meaningful. Specifically, it will consider the glasses of Omar al-Mukhtar, leader of the resistance to the Italian occupation of Libya, as they appear in museums and shops and are evoked (on paper, in films) in different contexts. The biography of the glasses will be investigated as they multiply and appear in various places, like a modern-day colonial ‚relicʻ. Finally, the article reflects on the meaning of fakes and copies within the broader debate on restitution and reparations, seeing non-authenticity as a potential resource rather than simply a problematic issue, and examining the production of counterfeits as a way of reaffirming agency.