The marble sculpture, considered counterfeit, was sold for almost 900 thousand euros.

A small marble sculpture by French artist Auguste Rodin, long considered a copy, fell from the mallet for 860 thousand euros at an auction held in Villandry Castle (Endre and Loire department) in France, Rouillac auction house website reports.

The work titled "Le Desespoir" ("Despair") is a variation on the theme of the famous "The Gate of Hell" ("La Porte de l'Enfer"), created around 1892. The sculpture depicts a woman hugging her knees and holding her leg.

After being sold at auction in 1906, it disappeared from view, and its owners simply kept it on the piano, believing it was a replica.

After six weeks of investigation, they were informed that the sculpture was Roden's original work.

French auctioneer Emerick Ruillac told AFP that he had appealed to the Roden Committee in March, the most authoritative organization dealing with the French sculptor's legacy. After extensive research and even genealogical analysis, the committee confirmed the authenticity of the work.

Ruyiyak called the 28.5-centimeter marble sculpture an "extremely rare" find.