  K- and L-type asteroids are considered to be the parent bodies of CV and CO
chondrites. Spectral models of L-types invoke an enrichment in CAI with respect
to the chondrites in the meteorite collection. Barbarian asteroids are
associated to L-type asteroids yet the relationship between these populations
is still not clear. We aim to investigate the link between the K- and L-type
and Barbarian asteroids and the CV and CO chondrites by means of spectral
matching of a large number of reflectance spectra of objects from either
population. We seek to identify matches based on observed rather than modelled
spectral features. We employ a matching criterion that accounts for the
residuals and the correlation of the spectral features. The only free parameter
in the comparison is the degree of alteration of the asteroids with respect to
the meteorites expressed via an exponential model. We derive an absolute scale
of similarity between the spectra using laboratory data from irradiation
experiments. CVOxA chondrites are the best match to the asteroids, in
particular to K-type (7 out of 11 asteroids matched) and Barbarians (11 out of
16). CO chondrites provide convincing matches for K-types (5 out of 11) and
Barbarians (7 out of 16) as well. A single non-Barbarian L-type is matched to a
meteorite. Only a few asteroids are matched to CVOxB and CVRed chondrites.
Barbarian asteroids are represented among CO and CVOxA chondrites without
requiring an enrichment of CAI in the asteroids. Four candidate Barbarian
asteroids are identified, three of which are classified as K-types. These
asteroids are favourable targets for polarimetric observations. The discrepancy
between L-type asteroids and CV and CO chondrites is likely related to the
ambiguity of the asteroid class itself. An extension of the taxonomy to include
polarimetric properties is required.
