Episode 7 Antiques Master

This is Antiques Master,

the contest to find Britain's top amateur antiques expert.

Tonight the battle continues, as the country's finest antiques enthusiasts

fight it out at the magnificent Towneley Hall in Burnley.

They face a series of tough challenges,

testing their skills at identifying, dating and valuing antiques.

Ultimately only one will be crowned Antiques Master.

Hello and welcome to Antiques Master. I'm Sandi Toksvig

and this is the search for Britain's top amateur antiques enthusiast.

Now as the contest continues, we have three more antiques buffs

waiting to prove they've got the knowledge, the passion and the skill

to be Antiques Master 2011

and all of this under the watchful eye

of our resident expert, Mr Eric Knowles.

Let's meet tonight's contestants.

20-year-old student John Rogers is a specialist in British silver.

I like to think I've got a pretty broad knowledge covering most areas.

Everybody has their slips

but I'm looking forward to seeing how far it'll test me.

Diana Johnson from Shrewsbury loves British country pottery.

In this age of mass production,

I'm fascinated by the ingenuity of people

making so many different things in the past

and in the way they were used.

And Martin Easton from Bexhill-on-Sea has a passion for Treen.

I can't think of anybody who can't pick up a nice, small bit of Treen

and not run their hands over it.

You just have to, because the patination on it

and the feel of it is fantastic.

But who will have what it takes to win a place in the semi-finals

and move one step closer to becoming Antiques Master?

Their journey starts now.

Right, your first challenge is all about your antiques specialisms.

Now we know that each of you has a different antiques passion

and we are going to put that specialist knowledge to the test.

We have scoured the country for five glorious examples for each of you

and what you need to do is to study them and tell me the following -

Which is the oldest? Which is the most valuable?

And which one is the odd one out?

Now, there's 40 points available.

There are ten points for each antique

that you correctly identify and an extra ten points

if you can tell us the price of the most valuable piece

within 15% of the auction estimate.

So let's see who's got a real eye for detail.

First up is John, whose antiques passion is pre-1800 British silver.

Your odd one out is that it is out of the time period,

so it is not pre-1800. All right?

Let's just start here. Even I know what that is, it's a pot.

Yep, it's a coffee pot.

Let's have a look at the marks.

-Are you good at the marks, do you know them?

-I like the marks.

-You do?

-This is London.

-How can you tell London?

Er, leopard's head and we've got a T.

This the date letter but going by this shape

and moulding, I'd say about 1740, 1750s.

And does the design of it bespeak anybody in particular?

Erm, possibly William Pitts.

What is it, John, that draws you to silver?

Well, I'm learning metalwork myself.

-So, at college, you're studying to be a silversmith?

-No, I just do fine art

but I'd like to learn silversmithery at some point.

We've got a teapot, neoclassical.

Anything coming up?

George III duty marks, so we're after 1784.

-Valuable?

-Quite, yes.

-"Quite." You like the feel of it.

Right, we'll come on to the next thing.

Little sugar caster.

Is it a Hester Bateman? Ah, this is by Hester Bateman.

Who's Hester Bateman?

Woman silversmith of the late 18th century. It's a caster.

For sugar?

I would suppose so, or pepper. No, too big for pepper.

OK, we're going to have to hurry you along.

I think this is provincial.

So not made in London or no, no, no, wait, yes, Britannia standard.

Which means?

Between 1697 and 1720, they raised the standard of silver from Sterling

to Britannia to stop people melting down the coinage.

So could it be the oldest?

I would say so, yes.

Let's look at the small item on the end before we make some decisions.

And this, I'm going to say, is early 19th century.

It's by Samuel Pemberton and it was made in Birmingham.

He made snuffboxes and this is very... .

There's still a lot made in Birmingham.

A lot of silver stuff made.

First, the odd one out - the one out of the time period,

the one that is not pre-1800.

-I'm going to go with the snuffbox.

-All right.

I'm going to say between 1820, 1830s.

-All right, now let's look for the oldest item.

-The spoon.

-And, again, when do you think it might...?

-About 1700.

About 1700. And the one that would fetch the highest price.

Erm, this is a very good coffee pot with its excellent casting here.

-I'll say this is the most valuable.

-This one is the most valuable.

Come and stand here with me and we'll see if Eric agrees with you.

Let's have a look for our oldest item on here.

And you just homed in on this.

Absolutely right.

The date that we had on here

was 1699 and the maker was a man called William Scarlett.

You're off and running with ten points.

Odd one out. You've gone over here

and you've chosen a little snuffbox by Samuel Pemberton

and the hallmark on this tells me that it's actually for 1792.

So where is my 19th-century piece?

It's right here.

But, I have to say, you can call me sneaky because this is 1801.

So here's your odd one out.

So where's my most valuable?

You're absolutely right to go for this coffee pot.

You get ten points for guessing it's the most valuable

but you could get another ten

if you can tell me the price of the coffee pot

within 15% of the auction estimate.

I'll say £3,000.

We think you're a bit heavy on the price there,

because we've actually got it valued at £1,800.

So 20 points you get and thank you so much.

John sits down with 20 points. Will Diana spot the oldest,

most valuable and odd one out in her specialism, British country pottery?

The odd one out is the only piece made for a top London retailer.

Now, to me, that looks like a giant fruit bowl.

Well, I'm guessing that this pot was made about 1890 to 1910.

It has a delicious owl face marks at the side,

where you would lift it as if it was your handle.

I think this is a garden planter.

Do you? Is it heavy?

-Yes, it is quite heavy.

-Now, what about this one here?

This is another earthenware pot

but it has this very characteristic squiggle decoration on it,

which is called slip trailing.

And does that help us to date it?

No, because that was done for several hundred years.

-On to the next piece.

-This is 19th century.

This is a Derbyshire...

bargee teapot, surprisingly late, about 1870 to 1910.

-What did you say? Bargee?

-Bargee.

-Bargee was?

As with the people on the long boats, on the canals.

Ah, I see.

-It's lost its top but it's a nice thing.

-You like it?

I like it, yes.

-And the next, that's a very...

-I like this more.

This is a puzzle jug.

What is the puzzle?

The puzzle is that you cannot generally drink directly

from these because the holes in the neck here mean that you get wet.

-So where do these come from? Are they from a particular county?

-A lot of potteries did this.

Is this the sort of thing that might be made for a London retailer?

-No.

-Definitely not going to be the odd one out, that one.

-No.

-Let's come on to the last item.

Which looks very like a child's chamber pot.

It'd be a small bottom, wouldn't it?

A very small bottom.

And this is potted in a creamy sort of clay that has then been dipped

into a comparatively clear glaze

and somebody's just taken the tips of their fingers

-and combed a design round it.

-It makes me go a bit funny.

-I know.

We're going to have to move us along

and why don't we start by finding the oldest.

I think this is the oldest.

What time frame are you going to give it?

About 1780.

Now the odd one out?

The one and only piece made for a top London retailer.

-Is this.

-Why do you say that?

This is a garden pot made by the Wrecclesham pottery

near Farnham for Liberty's.

And the most valuable?

The puzzle jug.

The puzzle jug.

All righty. We'll see if Eric agrees with you.

I'm going to start with our oldest item.

I can well and truly understand why you would go for the slipware

because these were made throughout the 17th, 18th century and beyond.

But I've got to take it somewhere else.

I've got to take it to the end of here,

to this little pot, which is actually a broth pot dated at 1740.

So when it comes to the odd one out we were looking for a pot

made for a London retailer, absolutely right.

It is Farnham and the retailer in question, Liberty.

-That is your odd one out.

-So ten points, well done.

We now have to look for the most valuable.

-Where would you say this came from?

-Muriel Minster in Somerset.

Absolutely right.

But it's not the most valuable

because coming in at £2,000 is our slipware dish.

So I'm going to give you a chance here to get another five points

if you can tell me, within 15% of the auction estimate,

what do you think is the price of the oldest item?

£280.

Well, in actual fact, this piece has been valued at £1,000.

It is very early.

You sit down with ten points. Well done, Diana. Thank you so much.

Diana takes ten points out of the maximum 40.

Now Martin must shine with his passion for Treen.

Your odd one out is it's the only continental piece.

I'm rather amused by this.

What do you think it might be?

Well, perhaps kitchen-orientated or obviously it's a hanging object.

You've got a little ring on the top.

So what sort of thing might you...?

It's not strong enough for heavy brass pots or anything like that.

It could even be for little spoons or something hanging down.

Any idea how old it might be, does it suggest an age to you?

I would think probably late 18th, early 19th century.

This is a most extraordinary-looking thing.

-People used to show off, really.

-Right.

So if you consider that this hasn't a join in the whole thing.

That's astonishing, isn't it?

All made out of one piece, inset there with some banding,

darker wood sort of like an ebony.

And do you think it has a practical purpose

or is it just a pretty thing?

It's showing off his craftsmanship.

Come on to the next thing. What do we think this is?

What a nice tray. A lot of Treen was purely made for domestic use.

This would've be used in the kitchen,

a board for cheese, in the making of cheese.

Is it British, is it continental, you are looking for...

-I think it could be Scandinavian.

-Right. What suggests that to you?

Well, simply, it's nice and light wood

and they did turn out a lot of Treens.

So I would think it was possibly Swedish.

All righty. I love this sort of...

Yes, that's different woods so you've got fruitwoods

and sycamore, banded. It's got a brass tray inside

and you've got the long pipe, church warden's pipe

with a very nice barley twist, nice size, specially made for the pipes.

Age?

I would think early 1800s.

And on to the last one. What do you think that is?

I would think it was for snuff, not just like a pocket snuff

but a large amount for on the table.

Probably turned on a pole lathe,

so one person working it with a treadle.

Valuable?

No, not too much because a lot of these were made.

So, no, I wouldn't say that was so valuable

as possibly some of the other items.

Let's start with the oldest one.

If only I knew exactly what it was for,

I could possibly go for this one.

That could be the oldest.

All right. Let's look for the most valuable.

I think I'll go for, actually, the pipe stand with the barley twist.

The pipe stand. And let's look for the one from the continent.

-I will stick with that.

-You'll stick with that one.

-I reckon it's Swedish.

Let's see what Eric reckons.

Now, the oldest.

You went down here but you weren't absolutely certain, were you?

But you did say kitchen. Just imagine...

Oh, yes, I can now yes.

All right. So we're talking whisk but are we talking the oldest?

I'm looking for something much older.

This dates to the time of Waterloo and it is the oldest.

Date, 1815.

It pays just to linger a little bit longer

when you've got something like this

because when you turn that top over

and pop it in the top of there, we have got a candle holder.

Odd one out. You've gone over here.

-The things you said... In actual fact, not cheese.

-Bread.

Not bread but a butcher's tray.

And it is British.

So you've got it down as the odd one out

but I was looking for something that if it could speak to me,

would speak to me with a Dutch accent.

It is the pipe stand and this particular one we have dated at 1840

but that, I can tell you, is our odd one out.

So the most valuable. What have we not spoken about?

Well, we've not spoken about this little treasure.

You said all the right things, carved from a single piece

and that is a little hook, which would just go on to your belt,

this would go under your arm and in that little groove there

would be a knitting needle.

So if you need three knitting needles to make a pair of socks,

this is what you would need.

So it dates from 1830 and it is our most valuable object on display.

No points there, I'm afraid, Martin,

but what we'll do, because we're very generous,

we'll give you five points if you can tell us,

within 15% of the auction estimate,

how much you think the most valuable one would go for.

Erm, 650.

Tantalisingly close. We were looking any side

of 500, so it just misses the mark.

Martin, thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

Well, let's have a look at the end of, I think,

frankly, a rather gruelling first challenge.

This is where we are. John, you're in the lead, you've got 20 points.

Diana, you are in second place with ten,

Martin, unfortunately not a scoring round for you

but it is all still to play for.

Now one of you will be leaving the contest at the end of the next challenge

but, frankly, there's not a lot in it.

So let's go through to the Green Room for A Place In Time.

In the second of tonight's three challenges,

we've selected five antiques, all from different periods.

The first is a tea caddy,

then a decorative tile.

Next, an enamelled vase,

followed by a locket

and, finally, a doll.

The antiques have been placed in random order

and each contestant has five minutes to assess and position them

from earliest to latest on the Antiques Master timeline.

They will receive ten points for each one they get right.

The first item to inspect is the antique doll, valued at £1,600.

She's wearing flat shoes, not shoes with heels.

They tend to be a fraction earlier.

-She's made out of unglazed ceramic, called bisque.

-Uh huh.

and then they've cut out an oval

and have put in a little paperweight eye on each side.

There's no number or manufacturer's name on the back,

which would have if it had been French.

I listen to Hilary Kay on the Antiques Roadshow about these

and I don't know how to date them but going by costume...

-OK.

-..she's not late 19th century.

The next item that needs a place on the timeline is the locket.

Without testing it, I presume it is gold,

it could possibly be continental French.

Date-wise, I would think possibly mid-19th century.

It's got numerals in it, it has a scratched four

under where the locket would have contained a picture

and that has two little Vs.

I'm not sure if it's significant

or just something the maker left behind.

It's a double locket.

Going by the style of this sort of enamelled blue star and the pearl

is indicating to me mid 19th century.

The vase has an auction value of £250.

They've blown a glass amphora figure here

and then they've added a foot to it.

Right.

They've put gilding on and little...

sort of pearls, applied pieces of white glass.

I'm trying to think of glassmakers and by style this sort of...

It possibly isn't quite right for Art Nouveau.

I think that would be a bit more organic.

Maybe the aesthetic movement?

Very, very nicely made and it's got a lovely shape to it.

I would think possibly that's the early part of the 20th century.

The fourth piece they must date is the tile.

This is a biblical scene on tile.

-Do you think it's British?

-No, I think it's Dutch.

Right. What is it that makes you think it's Dutch?

Well, we would generally say it's either Dutch or it's English and I'm punting there.

I would think that was Dutch and I would think that's early.

Nicely glazed, small tile. I would think that could be 17th century.

I wouldn't be able to tell you if it was Dutch or British.

Right, but age is really the thing that we're looking for.

This is well into the 18th century, 1750, 1770s.

So a good candidate to be down this end?

Yes, this is one of the earlier items.

The last item is the tea caddy.

-I love these.

-Do you? Why?

They're so beautiful. This is ivory with tortoiseshell inlain.

It's got its lead lining.

And age?

1790-1810.

There is a lot of fakes on the market of this type

but it's certainly got some age but it could have been aged.

Right, but if it wasn't aged and it was genuine?

If it wasn't aged, I would say that was mid 18th century.

You open the top and I'm looking to see if the hinge is original,

which it is, they often got wangled off.

Although the key is not original,

the lock and the lock plate are still there

and inside, you can see the remains of some...

silver foil, basically.

Quite a luxurious little piece.

It's decision time. They have just one minute left

to place the antiques in chronological order.

Ten points will be awarded for each one correctly placed

on the Antiques Master timeline.

Diana opts for a unique approach.

-I'll leave that there.

-You're going to leave that?

And I'm going to say it's about 1755. The Delft tile is 1780.

Leave the tile there.

That is 1830s, that is 1860s and that is 1880s.

You're not actually going to move anything?

I'm leaving them as they are.

Martin places the tile as the earliest piece.

This, I think, is the earliest.

And John agrees.

From what I know about tiles, I'd put this as my earliest item

and the tea caddy as the next earliest.

He thinks the tea caddy should go in position, too.

But Martin goes for the vase.

I'm going to put this here.

They both agree the locket should be in the middle of the timeline.

I'm going to go with this as the middle item in around the 1860s.

Followed by the doll.

I'm going to put her there.

I might put her here.

But they disagree about the latest item. John thinks it's the vase.

I have a feeling this could be the youngest item.

OK.

Whilst Martin plumps for the tea caddy.

I've got a horrible feeling that could not be

as old as it's trying to be.

Time is running out.

-Anything you want to move?

-Erm...no.

-Anything you want to change?

-No.

-Very good.

Time's up but is anyone's timeline in the correct order?

Well, all of you have given our antiques a place in time.

Let's find out who was right. Eric.

We're looking, initially, for the oldest.

And this tile, two of you certainly decided

that you wanted to put it here as being the earliest.

It dates to around about 1720 and is Dutch.

So ten points to Martin and to John.

Not only is it our earliest object, but it is our least valuable.

It weighs in at a mere £60.

Where would we go next?

We would go to about 1790 and I think it fair to say

there's only item on here that would have you in the 1790s

and it's this little treasure

and I can tell you that this is our most expensive piece

before you today, a staggering £6,000.

And it's worth ten points to John.

The glass is certainly continental,

the glass, date-wise, about 1860.

So this stays right here in the middle of our timeline.

And well done, Diana, there's ten points for you there.

If I can just move that fine piece there, we have our doll.

We have our doll.

You mentioned costume, John.

very important when you get the original costume.

it's often a real giveaway.

So the doll is 1870.

So ten points each to Martin and to John.

Now, the enamel locket.

Date-wise, you are forgiven for thinking

that this would have been around about 1860.

It's a style that found favour

throughout the second half of the 19th century

but we have a dateline of 1900.

Well, I'm afraid nobody got that one right at all,

so let's have a look at the final scores.

John was leading after the first challenge.

You had 20 points, you gained another 30.

You remain in the lead with 50 points,

You will be going through to the final challenge.

Diana, you had ten points.

You've gained another ten, you now have 20.

And, Martin, I did say it was all to play for.

You didn't gain any points in the first round

but you have gained 20 now.

So we find ourselves in a tiebreak situation.

Eric is going to show you one of the antiques that you've already handled

in the chronology challenge

and what we want you to do is to guess the value,

based on an auction estimate

and the contestant closes to the value will be going through

to the final challenge. So, Eric, which item are we looking at?

Well, we're going with the one item

that neither of the two actually got correct.

We're actually going to go with this locket.

So, please, would you write down your auction estimate.

Right, let's reveal your estimates. Diana, you first, please.

£360. Martin?

£165. What is the actual auction estimate?

£1,400.

My goodness me.

Well, neither of you was all that close

but, Diana, you are the closest

so you will be going through to the final challenge.

My commiserations there, Martin,

this is where your journey towards the title of Antiques Master ends.

I do hope you had a good time.

-Really enjoyed it, thank you.

-Excellent news.

Well, Diana, congratulations.

You are still in the contest, with a chance of being the Antiques Master

and of course, John, in the lead at the moment but still all to play for,

let's go through to the final challenge in the Red Room.

So, John and Diana, there is just one guaranteed place

in the semi-finals and it is time for your final challenge.

Now before you we have five, I think, glorious antiques

and I'll start with an open question. Buzz if you know the answer.

Its five points if you get it right

but five points off for a wrong answer.

If you answer correctly,

you'll be able to choose one of the five antique categories

for a further question worth ten points.

If you get the answer wrong, it'll be passed to the other contestant,

who could possibly steal five points off you.

So choose wisely.

The round will end after two minutes

or when all five antiques are out of play.

John, at the moment, you have 50 points.

Diana, you are on 20 but there is everything still to play for.

So time starts now. We begin with an open question.

Peachblow, amberina, vaseline and cranberry

are all coloured forms of what?

-Diana.

-Glass.

Glass. Correct. Please choose a category.

Liberty.

Liberty and Co.

From what range of silver, launched by Liberty & Co in 1899,

does this vase come from?

-Cymric.

-Cymric. Absolutely correct.

Open question, either of you can answer.

Which spoons sometimes found in sets of 12 or 13...

have a figure of Jesus or a saint as the finial. John?

Apostle spoon.

-Apostles. Please choose a category.

-Er, Minton.

Minton. Which range does this Minton vase come from?

Secessionist.

Secessionist is correct. Open question, either of you can answer.

The neoclassical style was popularised in Britain

during the second half of the 18th century

by which Scottish architect brothers? John.

Robert Adam.

Robert Adam, absolutely correct. Please choose a category.

Erm...Satsuma.

Satsuma. The designs on Satsuma ware

are said to be influenced by the uprising

against which Japanese government that ruled between 1868 and 1912?

Meiji?

Meiji is correct. Open question, either of you can answer.

Triangle, raised anchor, red anchor and gold anchor

are periods in which English porcelain factory's history?

Chelsea.

-Correct. Please choose a category.

-Galle.

Galle. In which French town was Galle born in 1846?

Liege?

Er, that is not correct, so I'll pass it over to Diana.

Which town?

Nancy.

Nancy is correct. Open question, either one of you can answer.

What name applies to a centrepiece with a large central bowl and several small ones?

-John.

-An epergne.

Epergne. Correct.

-Please choose a category.

-Dean's Bears.

Dean's Bears. In 1930, the British firm Deans made toys

representing which famous cartoon character, who first appeared in Steamboat Willie?

Mickey Mouse.

Mickey Mouse is absolutely correct.

And that sound also signals the end of the head to head.

It was rather nail-biting but I can reveal that the scores are, Diana,

you have 40 points.

John, well in the lead, you have 100

and we will see you in the semi-finals.

My commiserations to you, Diana.

But, John, congratulations, how are you feeling?

I've really impressed myself.

You impressed yourself? Good for you! Did you impress Eric?

I was truly impressed by that general knowledge, well done.

Commiserations, Diana.

Well, do join us next time,

when we welcome three more antiques amateur enthusiasts

to compete for the Antiques Master title.

I'm really pleased with myself.

I didn't expect to be able to beat anybody else

who's probably got much more experience than me in this field. Yeah, quite happy.

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