A terracotta vase used as a garden ornament turned out to be an ancient Egyptian relic dating back almost 3,000 years.
The owner inherited the 13-inch high stone jar about 20 years ago from an aunt and uncle and kept it in her front garden in north Dorset, not realising its importance.
She took it to be valued and was surprised to find out the piece, with its distinctive pharaoh headdress, dates to between 1550-1069 BC.
The owner of the ancient jar, who does not want to be named, said: "I have had it hanging around for about 20 years and thought I had better find out if it is worth anything.
"It was outside in the front garden, then it went indoors in to the house and we had it sitting on the cupboard in the hall. I had cleaned it up by then, given it a wash.
See the above page for the full story, including a photograph of the poor jar.
There's a better version of the same photograph in the Duke's auction house online catalogue, together with the following description:
AN EGYPTIAN TERRACOTTA CANOPIC JAR AND COVER with traces of pigmentation the lid modelled as Imseti wearing a black-striped wig probably New Kingdom (1550-1069BC) 13 high. See illustration
Estimate: 500-1000
Also covered on the Daily Mail website, accompanied by a different view of the item:
The item is now to be sold at auction at Duke's in Dorchester by the experts who identified it.
Amy Brenan from the auctioneers said: 'It is very rare to have something such as this brought to us.
'The owner had had it in his garden for about 20 years without realising what it was.
'It is incredible to think how old it is and what was happening in the world when this was made.'
The vendor, from north Dorset, who wants to remain anonymous, said: 'It came from an uncle who was a bit of a collector and when he died about 20 years ago it came to us.
Also on The Telegraph website.
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