The prehistoric reclining lady of Tarxien has reached new heights of fame after it formed one of the props on the film Shutter Island, in a scene with two of Hollywood's most celebrated actors.

The sculpture sat on a shelf inside the office of one character played by Ben Kingsley in a scene shared by Leonardo Di Caprio. It was part of a collection of ancient artefacts and can be seen clearly for a few seconds.

The Sleeping Lady, as it is referred to, was discovered in a pit in one of the painted galleries of the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, which is a massive underground complex of beautifully carved solid rock rooms.

The complex covers some 500 square metres and the rooms are of various shapes and sizes, located on three levels. The site was accidentally discovered by a stonemason in 1902.