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  • France 24 | Childhood 'toy' revealed as ancient Persian relic | France 24

    From the page: "An ancient gold cup mysteriously acquired by an English scrap metal dealer is expected to fetch close to a million dollars at auction after languishing for years in a shoe box under its current owner's bed. Owner John Webber says his grandfather gave him the... more

    Reviewed by JIR Jun 26 2008, 12:33pm ( 3 reviews ) • france24.com

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  • Reviewed by Snacixemkcus on Mar 28 2009, 5:08pm

    If this is true it would be worth far more than a million dollars.

  • Rated by JIR on Jun 26 2008, 12:33pm

    From the page: "An ancient gold cup mysteriously acquired by an English scrap metal dealer is expected to fetch close to a million dollars at auction after languishing for years in a shoe box under its current owner's bed. Owner John Webber says his grandfather gave him the 5.5-inch (14-centimetre) high mug to play with when he was a child, back in 1945. He assumed the golden cup, which is decorated with the heads of two women facing in opposite directions, their foreheads garlanded with two knotted snakes, was made from brass. But he decided to get it valued when he was moving house last year and was told it was actually a rare piece of ancient Persian treasure, beaten out of a single sheet of gold hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus Christ. Experts said the method of manufacture and the composition of the gold was "consistent with Achaemenid gold and gold smithing" dating back to the third or fourth century BC."

  • Rated by Persiana on May 28 2008, 9:09pm

    Tomb Raiding 101 (one-faced or two-faced?) How did it end up in the UK and eventually in that man's possession? His story does not sound credible. If his grandfather recommended it would possibly worth a fortune some day (video), why did himself use it for target practice? How come he had not have it appraised for that long? Is it believable that a metal dealer who "had a good eye for antiques" couldn't distinguish gold from brass? I think after the Barakat Gallery court case that Iran won, dealers of looted treasures are going to concoct all sorts of stories to avoid the fate of Barakat. I think this case, as in the previous instances, should also be pursued by Iran's cultural heritage organization. UNESCO Convention leaves no ambiguity in such instances for all the signatories. "given what we know about the antiquities trade and faked provenance this seems a bit suspicious, though that is mere speculation on my part." - quoted from Illicit cultural property which points to another interesting article on the issue: The Midas Touch.