Garden ornament is ancient Egyptian relic » Communities » 24dash.com

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.

"It was a great surprise, I had no idea it was that sort of age and I just had it hanging around. It is mind boggling."

The canopic jar, complete with cover, was originally designed to hold the internal organs of the dead as part of the mummification process.

The lid 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.

The owner added: "It's not the sort of thing you want to keep flour in."

The ancient jar is damaged and expected to fetch only £500 to £1,000 when it goes on sale at Duke's auction house in Dorchester on February 5.

Amy Brenan from Duke's said: "It's amazing how long this has survived considering all the things that happened since the Egyptian period.

"How it's gone from ancient Egypt to sitting in somebody's garden is pretty remarkable. Thank goodness it still doesn't have its contents."