Not such hidden treasure: Owner dies in poverty while Renaissance 'bric-a-brac' worth £147,000 sits on his shelf for 30 years

Sculpture is believed to have been crafted by a European artist working in Italy during the Renaissance
The unknown artist's work was inspired by ancient Roman and Greek sculpture
A bronze statue of the Greek god Zeus dismissed as interesting 'bric-a-brac' on a shelf for 30 years turned out to be a Renaissance classic worth AUS$225,150 (£147,000).

Australian Denis Warrington-Fry bought the 25in high figure in the 1970s for less than AUS$200.

Unbeknown to him the statue was in fact a genuine piece of work by a Renaissance artist.

The figure's true value only came to light after Mr Warrington-Fry died aged 80 and his estate sold at auction.


Hidden treasure: 25in bronze statue of Greek god Zeus dismissed as 'bric-a-brac' but worth AUS$225,150
An anonymous buyer from London splashed out the staggering sum for the statue on Sunday.

It has not been confirmed who created the work but it is rumoured to be a famous European artist.

Mr Warrington-Fry picked up the statue from an antique shop in Sydney, Australia.

Tragically, his house fell into disrepair and he struggled to pay the bills unaware he had a valuable statue on the mantelpiece.

Friend Geoff Northausen said: 'It's hard to imagine what he might have done with the money had he known the figurine was worth this much.' 

The statue was sold by auctioneers Vickers and Hoad in Sydney.

Director Colin Vickers said: 'When we finished bidding there was a bit of applause and everyone was in shock - I needed to take a drink of water and compose myself.'