Toothbrush holder in bathroom turns out to be a jar dating back to 1900 BC

Based in Derby, Karl Martin, who bought the jar at a car-boot sale with another pot for £4, was told of its antiquity by a colleague at the local auctioneers, Hansons. The jar with a painting of an antelope was put for auction this week, selling for £80.

A keen collector, Martin said: "I liked it straight away. I used it in the bathroom to store my toothpaste and toothbrush – it even ended up getting a few toothpaste marks on it. I suspected it might be very old but forgot all about it".