Just looks like some archaeology: Priceless Paperweight

I don't have any good suggestions for a replacement off the top of my head, but the current image, though it may make sense in context, looks more like people just exploring a temple rather than anything to do with this.

Wouldn't the Rosetta stone be a great example of this?

[1]◊[2]◊

edited 13th Feb '11 6:18:30 PM by Raso

Most people don't know that it was used as one. They only know the priceless bit.

Bah history books people... (kind of proud I didn't present an anime example...)

It is a great example, and huzzah for it not being anime. It's just not well shown in an image, and we sadly have a contingent here that is against having to know anything about world history.

edited 13th Feb '11 7:14:08 PM by shimaspawn

Wait, the Rosetta Stone was a paperweight once?

On topic here, that page image is about as close to JAFAAC you can get for tropes that are about objects. We should get something that actually shows the trope, but I can't think of any.

Also, happy to be your example. History kind of bores me.

edited 13th Feb '11 7:18:12 PM by AweStriker

*sighs* See. This is why I said we'd have people who didn't know their history.

Why not a photoshop of a well-known treasure being used as something mundane?

Because it's tacky and it's better to have a real example.

It was used as building material in the construction of Fort Julien in Egypt till its rediscovery in the 1800s.

edited 13th Feb '11 7:20:35 PM by Raso

I've never heard of Fort Julien, either; then again my high school's history curricula were rather America-centric  ^*

[/offtopic]

Let's run through the page examples...

This is gonna be a hard one.

I should have meant a drawing.

So I guess an image of the ancient Medusa statue being used as a pillar in the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul would be too obscure? And come to think of it I'm not sure exactly how valuable that statue was.

edited 13th Feb '11 8:20:40 PM by JapaneseTeeth

Find us a picture — that could work well...

This◊ is the best picture I have of it. I don't know if it's the best illustration of trope, but "piece of art used as building material" kinda gets the point across.

EDIT: There's also this◊ picture from Wikipedia.

edited 13th Feb '11 8:51:47 PM by JapaneseTeeth

I see "on display" more than "used as building material" there.

EDIT: I like that second one more.

edited 13th Feb '11 8:52:08 PM by INUH

"This priceless ancient sculpture will make a great brick!"

I know, when I was there I couldn't get a picture of the full pillar. That's why I looked up the wikipedia image.

The second one is good. The fact that she's upside down makes it pretty clear that that is not the place or the way it was intended to be used.

Eep... I didn't even notice there was a face there. I thought it was just some random abstract-y carvings!

Hmmm. The sideways one (#1) might be easier to see the face on, on further consideration...

Well, to me it just sort of looks like that's how that room was built purposefully. I have no idea why they're sideways or upside down, but, for all I know, that was the bodacious style of the day.

I think the second one is a good example, but I can't help thinking there's a better one somewhere.

Bump

What about an Oscar or emmy or other award? They're technically worthless and at the same time priceless... meaning they're really worth nothing outside of the value of the materials it took to make them. They make good paperweights.