Either Falsification or Chef-d'oeuvre.

Carabinieri remained adamant: no matter how hard Giuseppe Martellucci, an Italian shepherd, argued with them that these figurines were cut out by him rather than stolen out of the Etruscan tombs. The figurines were confiscated and sent for expert examination to Siena first, then to Grosseto. The experts made a unanimous decision: the figurines were made by the Etruscans. Giuseppe Martellucci was accused of misappropriation of archeological finds.

However, the shepherd stood on his original story. Moreover, under the very eyes of the carabinieri, he cut another “Etruscan” statuette out of limestone. After all, the shepherd-sculptor was proved to be innocent. Later on in the city of Prato was organized an exhibition of Giuseppe’s masterpieces – the exact copies of ancient works.