I found a tiny statue buried on a beach – I was accused of a hoax but it’s worth a fortune and could change history
A TINY bronze Buddha that was found on a beach is not only worth six figures, but could change history forever.
The jaw-dropping discovery of the Buddha statue was made by filmmakers and explorers Leon Deschamps and Shane Thompson on a beach in Western Australia.
And after the lucky pair were accused of a wild hoax to rack up publicity for their filmmaking ventures, the relic has now been proven to be real and is valued at over £100,000.
But not only is the ancient artefact worth a fortune, it also reveals a shocking revelation about history as we know it.
Confirmed to be a relic of the Chinese Ming Dynasty, the discovery could prove that Chinese sailors landed in Australia centuries before Europeans did.
Leon approached the Antiques Roadshow crew to run his theory on the bronze Buddha’s journey by an expert on the programme.
He believes the statue came to Australia in the 1420’s as part of one of the richest Chinese treasure voyages.
Chinese “treasure fleets” were known to explore the world for minerals, and this is where Leon’s theory stems from.
Lee Young, an Asian art specialist from Antiques Roadshow said: “Let’s clear it up straight away, yes it is Ming (Dynasty)”, and dated the statue to between 1368 and 1644.
“And yes, it is the infant Buddha. He was brought out in ceremonies to celebrate Buddha’s birthday, which is why it’s portrayed as the infant Buddha.
“They poured purified water or tea over the shoulders of the Buddha, which is why they’re always made in bronze, so they don’t get damaged,” he added.
The discovery and authentication of the Buddha makes it the oldest Chinese artefact to ever be unearthed on Australian soil.
But Young did not confirm that the statue could be used as hard evidence to prove that Chinese voyagers landed on the continent more than 600 years ago.
Initially the expert valued the artefact at between £3,000 to £5,000 but later said that due to the statues history, it could be worth up to a whopping £100,000.
“There is only one of these with that story… It’s history-making,” he said.
“Occasionally, an object comes our way that has an amazing story that makes it almost a world treasure, and the story about this little Buddha and the journey that it’s made to get here today, to me, makes this an exceptional object”.
The remarkable treasure was stumbled upon by the filmmaking pair while they were metal detecting for a documentary about the early 1800s French exploration of Australia.
They had only uncovered an empty beer can on their search for Napoleonic-era objects, before unearthing the historic Chinese artefact.
The pair shared their theory on the find, and if true, it would prove that Chinese sailors touched down in Australia almost 200 years before the Dutch.
Claims have been made in the past that the Chinese reached Australia and built small villages with Aboriginal people, but they have been quickly dismissed.