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The bust, which shows a sad man, possibly Saint Jerome, has thus far been attributed to Leonardo's master, Andrea del Verrocchio. But some say the high-level craftmanship and expressive power of the piece suggest that it could be by Leonardo.

The theory is being seriously considered, according to Giancarlo Gentili, an art historian at Perugia University. However, "it probably wasn't an autonomous work but an exercise in anatomy and physiognomy, a model to study, draw, and eventually translate into painting or sculpture," said Gentili. "Because of this it has been attributed to Verrocchio or his workshop."

The sculpture goes on display tomorrow in Impruneta as part of the exhibition "The Terracotta of Impruneta," which runs through July 25.