# Ancient Egyptian figurine wins most unusual donated item award

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2018/05/02/ancient-egyptian-figurine-wins-unusual-donated-item-award/
- Published: 2018-05-02T07:09:27+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**An ancient Egyptian figurine featuring hieroglyphics from the Book of the Dead
has won the Most Unusual Item donated to a hospice shop, in Hospice UK’s retail 
awards.**

The figurine, known as ‘a shabti’, features an extract from the book, which is a
compilation of spells designed to guide the deceased through the dangers of the 
underworld.

The Egyptian artefact scooped the top prize in its category for the awards, held
annually by [Hospice UK](https://www.hospiceuk.org/). It was spotted by the manager
at the Crystal Peaks shop run by St Luke’s Hospice in Sheffield and experts have
verified its authenticity and believe it originates from circa.350 BC.

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Other unusual items donated to hospice shops for the awards included: a set of prehistoric
mammoth bones and an old pair of binoculars donated to the [Paul Sartori Foundation](http://paulsartori.org/)
in Pembrokeshire. A volunteer spotted the potential value of the binoculars and 
research established that they were World War II German U-boat commander’s binoculars.
The hospice later auctioned them on eBay.

The prizes were awarded at the retail awards and conference [_Spring clean. Fresh ideas to drive your Hospice Retail Forward_](https://www.hospiceuk.org/what-we-offer/courses-conferences-and-learning-events/conferences/hospice-uk-retail-conference),
on 1 May at Kenilworth in Warwickshire.

Catherine Bosworth, Director of Income Generation at Hospice UK, said:

> “These awards celebrate the colour and creativity of the UK’s hospice retail sector,
> from the innovative to the downright quirky, as reflected in the intriguing items
> donated to hospice shops.
> “Hospice shops are a key player in the charity sector retail market – they raise
> crucial income for hospices and are also a great way of helping increase awareness
> about hospice care.”

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