Buzz
Countless individuals dedicate their lives to uncovering a singular, priceless artifact. For a fortunate handful, these historical treasures are passed down through generations as cherished family heirlooms or stumbled upon at unexpected places. Success often hinges on a keen eye and a deep understanding of an item's history. Without these, rare artifacts can remain unrecognized for years. Some are discovered by chance, while others are acquired for their aesthetic appeal or low cost. Each rediscovered artifact carries a fascinating tale of how it evaded obscurity, sometimes serving purposes far removed from its original intent for decades.
10. The Liver Jar
After the passing of an uncle, an anonymous family inherited a peculiar stone object. For two decades, the terracotta pot served as a garden ornament, often left neglected in the shed. One day, someone noticed the artifact bore a striking resemblance to an Egyptian figure. The Pharaoh-like relic was carefully removed from its spot on a Dorset patio and taken for expert appraisal.
Unexpectedly, what the family assumed was merely a decorative piece turned out to be a 3,000-year-old relic from ancient Egypt. The figure, adorned with the iconic headdress, was not a Pharaoh but the god Imseti. This deity had the unique responsibility of safeguarding livers extracted from bodies until they were needed in the afterlife. The 13-inch-high vessel was specifically crafted to house the organ. Known as a Canopic funerary jar, it was one of several such containers used to store the internal organs of the deceased. It remains a mystery how such an ancient Egyptian Canopic jar (fortunately without a liver) ended up in the possession of the uncle in England.
9. The Janus Cup
Another artifact featuring a human face was forgotten in a box for almost a lifetime. John Webber from Dorchester, England, received the cup from his grandfather, who was a scrap metal dealer specializing in bronze and brass. Assuming it was made from these metals, the young grandson stored it under his bed.
In his 70s, John Webber rediscovered the small keepsake from his grandfather while preparing to move. Realizing the 5½-inch (14 cm) cup was neither brass nor bronze, he decided to consult the British Museum.
The experts were astonished, admitting they had never encountered anything similar. The artifact depicted the Roman god Janus with two faces, his forehead adorned with braids and coiled snakes. Following their advice, Webber invested a significant sum to have the metal analyzed in a lab. The results revealed it was gold from the 3rd-4th century B.C., crafted in the ancient Persian Achaemenid Empire. The ancient deity of gates indeed unlocked a profitable opportunity for Webber—the artifact recently fetched $100,000 at auction.
8. The Pizza Base
A unique pizza base brought in a million pounds for Sotheby’s auction house. Near the restrooms of Ask Pizzeria in North Yorkshire, a wooden stand quietly awaited rediscovery. Eventually, someone decided to send a photo of the giltwood carving to Mario Tavella, Sotheby’s furniture specialist. He instantly identified the design of nude youths and garlands as the long-lost base of a cabinet he had been searching for over two decades.
The 17th-century Roman baroque cabinet had lost its stand sometime after World War II, and hopes of recovering it dwindled with each passing decade. The fully restored cabinet displays an intricate scene of a crowd receiving a blessing from the Pope in Rome.
The mystery of how the base initially disappeared or how it came into the possession of a couple in the restaurant industry may never be solved. One hint about its origins lies in similar stands found in Denmark, which are nearly identical and are thought to have been gifts from Pope Clement IX.
7. The Ding Bowl
In 2007, a family from New York state visited a yard sale close to their home. While browsing the items, they came across a plain white bowl priced at $3. Though it seemed unremarkable, they decided to purchase it. Unaware of the significance of their find, they took it home and displayed it in their living room for years. Eventually, their curiosity about its age and history grew.
The appraisal results were astonishing. The five-inch-wide bowl, adorned with a simple leafy pattern, was revealed to be a 1,000-year-old Chinese artifact valued at up to $300,000. Known as a “Ding” bowl, it is considered one of the most exquisite examples of Northern Song Dynasty ceramics and is exceptionally rare.
The remarkably preserved artifact is comparable in size, shape, and design to only one other piece, which was acquired by the British Museum six decades ago. The family was stunned a second time when Sotheby’s put the item up for auction. Although it was appraised at $300,000, four determined bidders fiercely competed for the Ding bowl, with a London dealer ultimately securing it for $2.2 million.
6. The Sleeping Lady
Art historian Gergely Barki was trying to entertain his bored daughter on Christmas Day in 2008 when he switched to a channel airing the movie Stuart Little. This simple decision led to a career-defining moment. While watching, his trained eye spotted a painting in the background of a movie set, which he identified as a lost Hungarian masterpiece.
As Barki investigated further, he discovered that the artwork, Róbert Berény’s Sleeping Lady with Black Vase, had changed hands multiple times, with none of its owners recognizing its true value.
In the mid-1990s, an art collector acquired the piece for $40 at a charity auction in San Diego, likely as a donated item. A Hollywood set designer later purchased it from the collector for $500, and by the time Barki reached out to her roughly a decade later, the painting was displayed in her home.
Today, a Berény artwork can fetch around $120,000. The art deco painting portrays the artist’s second wife, Eta, a talented cellist. Before its disappearance, it was last publicly seen in Hungary during an exhibition sale in 1928.
5. The Petrie Pot
In the 1950s, a man settled a taxi fare not with cash but by handing over a small pot. An attached note identified it as “Libyan Pottery” from 3,000 B.C., excavated by Professor WM Flinders Petrie between 1894 and 1895. The English taxi driver, Charles Funnel, accepted the unusual payment.
The black and red vessel resurfaced in 2014 when Guy Funnel, a grandson, was cleaning out his father’s garage in Cornwall. Noticing the name of the 19th-century archaeologist on the cardboard label, he reached out to the Petrie Museum in London.
This rare pot carries a captivating backstory. Contrary to its label, it was Egyptian, not Libyan, marking one of the few instances when the renowned archaeologist admitted to such an error publicly. The accompanying card is historically significant, revealing how artifacts were systematically distributed to individuals, a practice previously unknown.
The card, commercially printed, is the only one of its kind ever discovered. The mysterious taxi passenger might have been Joseph Milne, an Oxford museum curator who collaborated with Petrie in the 1890s. Milne possessed a bowl from the same burial site as the Funnel pot.
4. Roman Mortarium
Ray Taylor stumbled upon a flat bowl while working in his garden. The Alcester resident inspected the clay vessel and decided it would make a perfect birdbath for the local wildlife.
Feathered visitors enjoyed the makeshift birdbath for several years until Taylor’s daughter noticed similar items on display at the Roman Alcester Heritage Museum at Globe House. Following her advice, Taylor took the piece to the museum and was astonished to discover that his humble birdbath was actually a 2,000-year-old Roman artifact.
Experts identified it as a mortarium from the 2nd-3rd century A.D., a tool similar to a modern mortar and pestle. It was used to grind herbs and spices into finer consistencies. This utensil was likely produced in Mancetter, near Atherstone, a known center for mortaria pottery during Roman times.
The artifact’s completeness and excellent condition make it exceptionally rare, as most such items were discarded as broken waste in Roman times. Realizing its significance and value, Taylor generously donated it to the Warwickshire Museum.
3. Blenheim Sarcophagus
In 2016, an antiques expert was walking through the gardens of Blenheim Palace in England when he spotted what appeared to be a flower pot. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a large, intricately designed object being used as a tulip bed. The marble surface featured a familiar scene with beautifully carved figures, drawing his attention.
The carvings depicted Dionysus, Hercules, and Ariadne in a celebratory setting, accompanied by animals. He informed Blenheim Palace, the historic residence of the Dukes of Marlborough, that their garden ornament was actually an ancient sarcophagus. The Roman relic, though incomplete, is missing its base, sides, and back.
Despite its partial state, the sarcophagus is a remarkable artifact—weighing approximately 550 pounds (250 kg), measuring six feet (1.8 m) in length, 2.5 feet (80 cm) in height, and about 6 inches (15 cm) thick.
After six months of meticulous restoration, the intricate artwork was unveiled. Unfortunately, the sculptor remains unknown, and the identity of the individual for whom this 1,700-year-old coffin was intended is lost to history. The expert who identified it estimated its value at around $121,000, but Blenheim Palace chose to keep the artifact, which had been part of the gardens since the 19th century. It is now displayed in one of the palace’s hallways.
2. The Devon Moonstone
In 1950, a four-year-old girl moved into a Sussex home her family purchased from a Sri Lankan tea farmer. On the property was a massive stone weighing nearly a ton.
The family carried the stone with them every time they relocated. Placed in the garden, they remained unaware of the true significance of the intricately carved slab, measuring 4ft by 8ft (1.2 – 1.5 m). Even as the girl grew up and married, she still held onto the stone she once played with.
Now residing in Dorset, Mrs. Hickmott invited an auctioneer from Bonhams to examine the unusual stone adorned with carvings of Brahim cows, elephants, birds, horses, and lions. Previously used as a garden path marker, the granite artifact was eventually identified as a Sandakada Pahana, a traditional Sri Lankan moonstone.
The moonstone closely resembles those found in temples from Sri Lanka’s Anuradhapura period (400 B.C.-A.D. 1000). Archaeologists from Sri Lanka are divided on its authenticity and have found no records of its removal from the Anuradhapura district, where documentation has been maintained since 1890. Discovering a moonstone outside Sri Lanka is exceptionally rare, and Bonhams appraised its value at over £30,000 ($47,500).
1. The Leicester Stone
When a garden ornament was listed for sale in Leicester, one buyer instantly recognized its hidden value. James Balme, an archaeologist and TV presenter, couldn’t definitively identify the pillar-like object but sensed it was more than a simple lawn decoration. Acting on instinct, he decided to purchase it.
After cleaning the artifact, Balme noticed intricate markings that appeared to form a complex pattern, possibly resembling writing. Only the front side features these designs. The sandstone block, weighing 55-65 pounds (25-30 kg), narrows toward the top and stands about 18 inches (46 cm) tall and 5.5 inches (14 cm) thick.
The purpose of the artifact remains a mystery, though Balme theorized it could be a keystone from a ceiling or archway. The identity of its creator and the time of its creation are additional unanswered questions. While not confirmed, it is plausible that the stone was crafted between the 5th and 11th centuries during the Anglo-Saxon era, a period known for producing intricate stone artwork by various cultures.
