Sad, discarded $35 Goodwill sculpture turns out to be ancient bust of sad, discarded Roman man
The marble bust likely depicts Sextus Pompey and dates back to Rome's Julio-Claudian era
Antiques Roadshow has conditioned us to believe that every bit of slightly decent-looking thrift shop or yard sale junk is actually a fortune just waiting to be claimed. This isn’t usually the case, but sometimes a find comes along to make sure that the hoarder will never be totally be cured of their habits. Sometimes a find comes along like, for instance, a $35 Goodwill sculpture that’s turned out to be an ancient Roman artifact.
An article from Artnet tells us that Laura Young, the owner of Texas’ Temple Of Vintage, bought a marble bust from a Goodwill in Austin back in 2018 for $34.99 USD. Young held onto the sculpture for years, believing that the “worn features and natural gravitas” of the man it depicts hinted at an unique provenance.
After finally having the bust examined by a Sotheby’s consultant, her hunch was justified. The $35 sculpture, according to the consultant, dates back to Rome’s Julio-Claudian era and likely depicts son of Pompey The Great and Bellum Siculum military leader Sextus Pompey.
The bust’s journey from ancient Rome to modern Texas is believed to have been helped along by a 19th century Bavarian museum and an American soldier stationed overseas during the Second World War.