VietNamNet Bridge - A statue suspected of being made from pure gold worth US$3.7 million could be made of copper only.

The statue weighs 81.9 kg and is 1.16 meter in height and 0.85 meter in diameter at its middle part.

Some traders of antique items said the yellow color on the statuette might be the color of 14-carat gold.

But Dr. Ngo Quang Lang, head of a government-appointed team to appraise the figurine said, after examination, that it was manually made of copper and the yellow color comes from a layer of painting.

But Lang’s conclusion is only personal. A thorough examination is underway and an official conclusion is yet to be made.

The statue changed hands several times before it was seized in An Giang province as it was about to be sold by a woman in Vinh Hanh commune of Chau Thanh district.

The seller, Ms. Atyca, said she was waiting to sell the statue to traders in Ho Chi Minh City for US$300,000.

According to some sources, the statue was first discovered by a fisherman in the southern Kien Giang province.

Four people told relevant agencies that they bought it from a person in Kien Giang province for $200,000. They also said they had intended to re-sell the statue to antique traders in Ho Chi Minh City.

Source: Tuoi Tre