We consider ourselves lucky when we find a good deal on a new jacket at Vinnies or Salvos – but one woman in Texas ended up with an even bigger bargain.
Laura Young of Austin snagged a marble bust from her local Goodwill store for US$34.99 in 2018, nicknaming him “Dennis Reynolds” and putting him on display in her house.
After noticing how old and worn he was, however, she looked into his true provenance and found out he was an authentic Roman piece dating from between the first centuries BC and AD that disappeared from Germany – where he had once belonged to King Ludwig I of Bavaria – after World War II.
“My husband and I were on a road trip when I got an email from Bonhams [auction house]confirming the head was indeed ancient Roman, but without provenance they could be of no further assistance. Soon after that, Sotheby’s got in touch.
“There were a few months of intense excitement after that, but it was bittersweet since I knew I couldn’t keep or sell the [bust]. Either way, I’m glad I got to be a small part of [its]long and complicated history, and he looked great in the house while I had him,” she said.
Dennis will go on display at the San Antonio Museum of Art in Texas until May next year, after which he will be repatriated to Germany; Laura, meanwhile, has received a finder’s fee for her trouble.
Perhaps she should invest it in more op-shopping…
