A builder bought a weathered marble statue for £300 at a Wiltshire reclamation yard, where it was thought to be concrete. It has since been identified as an 18th-century work by Italian sculptor Pietro Bracci, and is due to be auctioned with Woolley & Wallis. The discovery matters because it is believed to be the only surviving maquette for a bronze statue of Pope Clement XII that was later melted down.

The 26-inch figure is estimated at £10,000, though the auction house says international interest means it could fetch as much as £100,000. It had reportedly spent decades outdoors in a Hampshire garden, and its route there is unknown; possible explanations include a gift to a British traveller or diplomat. The sale is scheduled for 8 October.