Posted on 02/04/2009 5:37:47 PM PST by nickcarraway
A terracotta vase which stood on a garden patio for 20 years is actually an ancient Egyptian relic dating back 3,000 years.
The 13-inch high ornament with its distinctive pharaoh headdress was originally designed to hold the internal organs of the dead as part of the mummification process.
The Canoptic jar, complete with cover, was left outside in a garden in north Dorset until its owner decided to have it valued.
Experts discovered that the lid of the ornament was modelled on the face of the Egyptian god Imseti, wearing a black striped wig.
The jar was designed to hold the liver and Imseti would have protected the organ for use in the afterlife, according to ancient tradition.
The piece was dated between 1550-1069 BC and is now being sold at the auction house Duke's in Dorchester.
The owner of the ancient jar, who does not want to be named, 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.
"We didn't know what it was and we have kept it on the patio and in the shed over the years. It was just used as a decorative piece, a lump of stone.
"Then I looked at it and saw it had a face and it looked a bit Egyptian so we took it in to be valued and was told it was from ancient Egypt.
"It was a great surprise that something that had been sitting there for some time unrecognised turned out to be so old."
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Ping
Definitely a Garden Ping!
Cripes! I’m gonna go check my garden crockery, LOL!
I find people like this really annoying. It would never happen to me. I pay too much attention. :,(
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Thanks nickcarraway. |
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Not hard to believe they left it on the patio! It’s not exactly...pretty or anything. LOL
I was thinking “Pier 1,” actually. ;)
So was I! LOL
Diana’s right, this is definitely a ...........
GARDEN PING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My favorite was the government employee who had several WPA woodcut prints in their original frames that she rescued from the trash when her government department moved to a new office. Her supervisor, the ignorant philistine who was going to just throw valuable, taxpayer-funded/owned artwork in the trash, said she could have them. They were worth several dozen thousand dollars, IIRC.
Just WoW!! How cool of a find.
Cleopatra shopped at Pier 1?
Of course the only things I ever find in the garden that are linked to egypt are what the neighbors cats, who still believe they are deities, (all my attempt to convince them otherwise not withstanding) leave behind...
The WORLD was her oyster. :)
Yep, that’s the look. Seen it many times.
I wonder if cat can be successfully composted?
I know goats can be composted, so I’m pretty sure a cat could be, too.
Just don’t stand downwind from the compost pile when either are in there, LOL!
Nah, I’d not do it.
I know the neighbors and they do TRY to keep the cats at home. So I just toss a few gravel their way to send them running.
Of course I do think less than charitable thoughts about neighbor and cat when I find crap in the rows.
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