The only difference between a replica of a van Gogh painting, and a fake van Gogh painting, is that the replica claims to be a replica while the fake claims to be real.
This is a subtle distinction, and because people could feel insulted if I confuse the two, I want to be sure to get it right, and not just trust a dictionary.
So, if I want to buy high quality replicas of say, Ming dynasty furniture, how should i describe that in Chinese? I do not want genuine historic antiques, and I certainly do not want to bother with people offering fakes as if they were genuine. I want high quality replicas.
My concern is not talking with dealers. My concern is when I ask a hotel clerk, or a shopkeeper who does not have what I want, where I might find what I want. They should not think I am asking if they know any frauds or counterfeiters!
仿(制)品
is literally the most suitable word forreplica
. 仿品/仿货/跟单 is for replicas, and 高仿/A货 is for high quality replicas. I would say "仿明式家具" for "replica of Ming dynasty furniture". I think the situation "仿制品 is often translated as counterfeit or fake" you've observed may be context related. In China, replicas are rampant (e.g. Nike shoes) and sold as genuine ones, and when we don't want to use the harsh word 假货 (e.g. when we argue with the shopkeeper), we may say 仿货 instead. The key is consensus: when we all know it's a replica, calling it 仿货 is totally OK.