0:00:34 > 0:00:37What did the Romans ever do for the Antiques Roadshow?
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Well, apart from anything else, they built a nice long straight road that
0:00:40 > 0:00:44will lead us to our destination this week in the North East of England.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51The Victorians did their bit for communications by erecting a viaduct
0:00:51 > 0:00:57to carry their new railway line across the River Wear, to link up the spreading clusters of industry.
0:00:57 > 0:01:03But for all the wielders of power and influence here, the greatest authority has been held in the hands
0:01:03 > 0:01:05of a long line of religious men.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09This is Bishop Auckland and for nine centuries the bishops of Durham
0:01:09 > 0:01:12have lived here at Auckland Castle.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27To date, 55 bishops have resided at Auckland Castle -
0:01:27 > 0:01:32soldiers, scholars, statesmen, builders and architects too.
0:01:32 > 0:01:39In 1660, John Cousin took what had been a run-of-the-mill dining hall and converted it into...
0:01:39 > 0:01:41well, come and have a look.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50It's one of the finest and largest private chapels in Europe
0:01:50 > 0:01:54complete with original organ in good working order.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04Around the walls are the heraldic shields of successive bishops.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10Henry VIII's Prime Minister Thomas Wolsey shares the honours here,
0:02:10 > 0:02:12although there's no doubt who takes pride of place.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16John Cousin's coat of arms covers the entire ceiling.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24The present Bishop of Durham, Tom Wright, might well have his name
0:02:24 > 0:02:26in lights for leading a campaign
0:02:26 > 0:02:29to save this series of stupendous paintings.
0:02:29 > 0:02:35They've been hanging here for 250 years but in 2001 the Church Commissioners let it be known
0:02:35 > 0:02:37that they could be up for sale -
0:02:37 > 0:02:39that is when the campaign started.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43So will Jacob and his 12 sons stay put?
0:02:43 > 0:02:45Stay tuned.
0:02:45 > 0:02:51Auckland Castle has always enjoyed a reputation for hospitality - guests were once offered
0:02:51 > 0:02:56the choice of hunting in the woods or strolling in the formal gardens.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58I think the Roadshow can do a bit of both.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01The gardens are open, the hunt is on.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09So, cats, large cats, little cats, you collect cats, do you?
0:03:09 > 0:03:14I have got large ones and small ones and everything in between.
0:03:14 > 0:03:15- Oh.- In every room in the house.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18- In every room. - Including the "little boys' room".
0:03:18 > 0:03:22- How many cats?- Well, more than 10,000, I would think.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24More than 10,000 cats!
0:03:26 > 0:03:28And did you marry her for her cats?
0:03:28 > 0:03:31- No, for her good looks.- Oh.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36- Thousands and thousands of cats, these are all ceramic cats, I mean they're not real cats?- No, no, no.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39No, they're not ceramic cats only,
0:03:39 > 0:03:45- I have every media, bronzes, silver.- Wood.- Gold.
0:03:45 > 0:03:50These are two British cats, aren't they? I think they're great - what can you tell me about those?
0:03:50 > 0:03:57As far as I know, this was bought in Newcastle about 20 years ago,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01it had no provenance whatsoever, no back stamp,
0:04:01 > 0:04:08I wasn't told anything about it, it just spoke to me. I wanted it.
0:04:08 > 0:04:13It was a ridiculous price and it was only two or three years ago
0:04:13 > 0:04:17that a guy wrote a book about Canney Hill.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20- Canney Hill, the pottery up... - Just down the road from here. - That's right.- Yes.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23It was only then I found out that this was, indeed, a Canney Hill cat.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27You think the coloured one is a Canney Hill, do you?
0:04:27 > 0:04:31Yes, I was told so by the man who wrote the book.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34These are usually called Rockingham, aren't they? With the colours, the Rockingham glaze, from Yorkshire.
0:04:34 > 0:04:40- But not necessarily so, I mean they were made all over the North.- Right.
0:04:40 > 0:04:46And it's very very difficult to say where these were made, but they look as though they're from the same model
0:04:46 > 0:04:52but they're decorated differently, of course, so the coloured glaze one is lovely, isn't he?
0:04:52 > 0:04:54- I think it's dangerous to be sure that they are Canney Hill.- Right.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58- Yes.- But I think there's a possibility that they are, but I...
0:04:58 > 0:05:04shall we say north-east, you know north-eastern cats, they're north-eastern cats really.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07But this is a miniature, tiny little thing compared to that, isn't it?
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Isn't it tiny and delicate?
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Absolutely beautiful, how long have you had him?
0:05:13 > 0:05:15About ten years.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20So these cats perhaps around about the 1890-1900 date,
0:05:20 > 0:05:25those two, this one about the 1750 date.
0:05:25 > 0:05:30At one time these things used to be called Chelsea, little Chelsea seal.
0:05:30 > 0:05:37- Yes.- It's got a little seal on the bottom to stamp your letter and most beautifully inscribed in French
0:05:37 > 0:05:42with a love token, these are little tokens of love to give to somebody,
0:05:42 > 0:05:44nothing more, right by the cat.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47I think I paid the bill for that one.
0:05:47 > 0:05:48Did you? Ooh, what did you pay?
0:05:48 > 0:05:50- Go on.- It was expensive.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52340 seems to come to mind.
0:05:52 > 0:05:57About £340, yes, yes, but he's a super little chap, isn't he?
0:05:57 > 0:06:02I think he's absolutely beautiful, highly collectable and in super condition.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05I can't see a thing wrong with it,
0:06:05 > 0:06:10but I think you've got to look at something like £1,000 for it
0:06:10 > 0:06:13and going up in price - these little charmers, absolutely.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17- Are you sure I gave it to you? - Ho, ho, no way.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22I suppose in value I think probably £300 to £400 for the coloured one,
0:06:22 > 0:06:28perhaps £200 to £300 for the plain tortoiseshell glazed one, but a joy is in what they've done.
0:06:28 > 0:06:33- Is in having them, absolutely. - So look after all these cats.
0:06:34 > 0:06:40This is a sight to warm a girl's heart, my goodness, look at this car!
0:06:40 > 0:06:43That's a cracker, isn't it?
0:06:43 > 0:06:44Can I get it working?
0:06:48 > 0:06:54Let's see it go, now there's somebody there ready to catch it. Woah!
0:06:57 > 0:07:02- That... Oh, my goodness, there's some life in it yet, isn't it?- Oh, yes.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06And it says here "Christmas Present 1926".
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Were you the lucky recipient of this Christmas present?
0:07:09 > 0:07:10Yes, I was, fortunately.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Now how old were you in '26?
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Er, three, coming towards four.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20It's in remarkably good condition - did you ever use it, age three?
0:07:20 > 0:07:26Yes, we had a long corridor, it would run very nicely along there,
0:07:26 > 0:07:28yes, those were the days.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33Let's just have a look at this, because in here
0:07:33 > 0:07:35we've got the driver,
0:07:35 > 0:07:37very useful spare can of petrol.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39- Oh, definitely.- And then, er,
0:07:41 > 0:07:48in the back here you've got the opening side door and it's also
0:07:48 > 0:07:50got a brake light,
0:07:50 > 0:07:55it has those magic words "Made in Great Britain"
0:07:55 > 0:07:58and there are several companies that it could have been.
0:07:58 > 0:08:04It could be made by Chad Valley, it could be made by Mettoy, it could be made by Wells or Brimtoy.
0:08:04 > 0:08:10- I just can't pluck one particular maker out of the hat.- Mm.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15What I can tell you is it's of good quality, it's a good size,
0:08:15 > 0:08:17and it's in good condition.
0:08:17 > 0:08:24This might, today, in a specialised auction, fetch around £300 to £500.
0:08:24 > 0:08:30- So it's... It has kept pace with inflation, plus some.- Yes.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33But I have to say I love the shirt!
0:08:38 > 0:08:41So Maggie, you're the Bishop's wife.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42This is your magnificent home behind.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45- That's right. - And this is your family portrait.
0:08:45 > 0:08:46Yes, this is my grandmother,
0:08:46 > 0:08:50my mother's mother, and she met on a bus, an amateur artist, called
0:08:50 > 0:08:54Miss Hoadley, who spotted her and thought she'd be a good subject
0:08:54 > 0:08:55to sit for her.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57So this is a result of talent spotting of your grandmother.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00On the bus, yes, and my...
0:09:00 > 0:09:02my grandmother then had my mother
0:09:02 > 0:09:07who was named after the artist, Miss Hoadley, her name was Ruth
0:09:07 > 0:09:09and she became her godmother,
0:09:09 > 0:09:15and in later life, when my mother got a scholarship to go to college,
0:09:15 > 0:09:19Miss Hoadley, the artist, paid for my mother to go to college, which was wonderful, so she became...
0:09:19 > 0:09:23- What a wonderful story, that chance encounter.- She became a fairy...
0:09:23 > 0:09:25The fairy godmother, that chance encounter, so this picture
0:09:25 > 0:09:28is a document about the changing family fortunes in a way.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32For my mother, certainly, yes, yes, she did, changed her life.
0:09:32 > 0:09:38I don't know anything about the artist, a Miss Hoadley, but I can say that it's an amateur hand
0:09:38 > 0:09:42- of some competence, obviously a wealthy woman who didn't need to paint.- No, that's right.
0:09:42 > 0:09:48- But spotted your grandmother and has produced a charming family artefact from the object.- Yes, she has.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51It's worth a few hundred pounds, but I suspect to you, an awful lot more.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55It will go on down through the family, and it does mean a lot to us, yes.
0:09:55 > 0:10:00- Does it hang on the Palace walls? - Yes, it does, not alongside the most famous paintings there though.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04- Nice change from the bishops up there.- Absolutely.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11That's the most fantastic hat I've ever seen in my life, and what a colour it is, and obviously
0:10:11 > 0:10:14you've got a very keen eye for colour, as this is colourless
0:10:14 > 0:10:16and yet colourful, isn't it?
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Absolutely, I adore bright colours,
0:10:19 > 0:10:24I really do, but yes, the beautiful black with just
0:10:24 > 0:10:27these little bits of white, I really loved when I bought that.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Yes, very smart, and I think in a way, black and white, the smartness
0:10:31 > 0:10:34of black and white's been overlooked really since the 19th century,
0:10:34 > 0:10:38hasn't it? When it was very popular, but here it has a specific meaning
0:10:38 > 0:10:41on this locket, and what did you think when you first saw it?
0:10:41 > 0:10:46Well, I assumed it was a Victorian mourning locket and would have had
0:10:46 > 0:10:51a portrait or lock of hair of the dead person inside.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56I'm sure, as you said, that it is a mourning jewel, it's a reference to
0:10:56 > 0:11:00the person within the locket, the image of the person within, and we can be absolutely sure
0:11:00 > 0:11:05that it's made for a widow, and that sounds a rather strong thing to say,
0:11:05 > 0:11:10but in the Victorian language of flowers, ivy, which we see here,
0:11:10 > 0:11:11is emblematic of marriage.
0:11:11 > 0:11:16- Right.- And black ivy, of course, is a signal that the marriage is over,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19and let's open it up - tell me about that tiny leaf.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Well, it was a four-leaf clover when I bought it.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28- Yes.- But it seems to have lost almost all of its leaves now.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32Well, it may have lost some leaves, but I bet it hasn't lost any of its magical power. I'm going to close it
0:11:32 > 0:11:34quickly because the wind is just going to whisk it away
0:11:34 > 0:11:37in front of us, and that really would be a disaster, wouldn't it?
0:11:37 > 0:11:42And the chain is a ladies' watch chain - it would have actually have gone round the neck as a single
0:11:42 > 0:11:46strand and then underneath the belt and then a watch would be suspended
0:11:46 > 0:11:51underneath the belt, but it works terribly well here and, and, um,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54really enviable thing, and I have no concept of what you paid for it then.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57I have no recollection, unfortunately, none whatever.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02- Well, I think it's completely irrelevant.- Yes.- But I think anybody would be jolly pleased to have this
0:12:02 > 0:12:06- thing for maybe £600 - £700 today. - Really?
0:12:06 > 0:12:12- My goodness.- And it gets worse, because people want these chains too,
0:12:12 > 0:12:17they're very fashionable and, and I think we can, we can add
0:12:17 > 0:12:20another £400, £500, £600 for that.
0:12:20 > 0:12:21- Really? Goodness me.- Yes.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23And I nearly didn't bring it to you.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26I was hot and tired and I nearly went home.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30Well, I spotted you with your hat actually, and I suddenly thought,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33"That's the girl for me today", and I think you have been.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35It's a most marvellous jewel. I love it and thank you for bringing it.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39- Oh, I'm so so pleased, thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44Now I've been told you were a little bit concerned about your wife being lonely when you
0:12:44 > 0:12:49were doing nights, so you decided to go out, go out and buy her a bit of something to keep her company.
0:12:49 > 0:12:55Yes, I did, it started as a joke, but she expected something else,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58you know, four legs and furry, but it didn't work out like that.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02- Oh, you were looking for a guard dog, were you?- Well, something that barked, preferably.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04- Yes.- Instead I got Fred.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07- Fred.- Fred.- Would you like to introduce me to Fred?- This is Fred.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09Right, OK.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14Hello, Fred... Do you say "hello", or do you say "how"? I'm not sure.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17It doesn't matter, he doesn't answer back.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20I suppose the big question is, "Why Fred?"
0:13:20 > 0:13:26I thought it was something different, unique if you like, and it stands out.
0:13:26 > 0:13:31It does, do you put him sort of near the window so anybody gazing in will think, "I'm not going in there".
0:13:31 > 0:13:35- He is quite close to the window, yes.- Quite a bit yeah, yeah.- Yes, scary.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38He is, well, he is and he isn't, I mean, let's have a look
0:13:38 > 0:13:44at the character, because this chap initially would have started off life as a shop sign.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48- Right.- And he would have stood outside a tobacconist's.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52- Yeah.- OK, now let me get one thing absolutely straight, I mean initially
0:13:52 > 0:13:58this is the sort of thing that you might have found outside a tobacconist's in the mid-west,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01probably around about 1880 or thereabouts.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05But I've got to say that this one does not date quite from then.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10This was not around when Abraham Lincoln was President of the United States.
0:14:10 > 0:14:18- No.- This was probably made, in all honesty, when Bill Clinton was the President of the United States.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22- Right. - Just how much did you have to pay for this, er, this security system?
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Well, I paid £400.
0:14:24 > 0:14:30Well, do you know, that's exactly what he's worth, but at least it adds a new dimension
0:14:30 > 0:14:34to the word "I'm just nipping out for an Indian, darling".
0:14:34 > 0:14:37- Yes.- Certainly does, yes.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43I'm so pleased to see this today.
0:14:43 > 0:14:49I recognised it instantly because I have a piece similar to this one.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Right.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Can you tell me a bit about it?
0:14:53 > 0:14:59- Yes, um, what I can remember is, my wife and I bought it in the mid-'70s in Sunderland.- Yes.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03- And I think it was called The Sunderland College of Art and Design.- Right.
0:15:03 > 0:15:08And there was a visiting lecturer from America called Charlie Meakin,
0:15:08 > 0:15:13and that piece definitely has his signature on the back, so we're sure he made that.
0:15:13 > 0:15:19Let's have a look - yes, I see it there, yes, great, great.
0:15:19 > 0:15:25Well, I bought my piece quite a bit later in the early 1990s,
0:15:25 > 0:15:29when I'd gone to work at Sunderland Museum,
0:15:29 > 0:15:34and I was so thrilled to see glass like this, this beautiful, beautiful
0:15:34 > 0:15:39- swirling blue shades of glass, fell in love with it right away, just as you have, clearly.- Yes.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43What's so nice is that Charlie Meaker came to Sunderland
0:15:43 > 0:15:48to set up the glass course there, and that was well over 30 years ago now.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52And he, really...
0:15:52 > 0:15:57there's a long tradition of Americans, foreigners, coming in to the area to make glass,
0:15:57 > 0:16:02and I mean, why, you might ask... was glass making such a big thing
0:16:02 > 0:16:05in the north east and particularly in Sunderland?
0:16:05 > 0:16:07And that's because just the coal...
0:16:07 > 0:16:11I mean coal is underneath the earth here everywhere as you know,
0:16:11 > 0:16:19and the raw materials, all the coal, the colliers that took the coal out round the country, and this
0:16:19 > 0:16:23is in the days before steam, and they would need to come back
0:16:23 > 0:16:25from delivering the coal with ballast
0:16:25 > 0:16:30in their holds and a very good form of ballast was sand, and they would
0:16:30 > 0:16:34nip across the Channel to Northern France or to Belgium,
0:16:34 > 0:16:39where the best quality sands were, and they would fill the holds,
0:16:39 > 0:16:44bring the sand back, and that was, of course, the raw material for the glass making.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48And, and can you tell me, you bought these pieces...
0:16:48 > 0:16:51What sort of prices were you paying for them then?
0:16:51 > 0:16:54- We paid about £70 for that.- Right.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56At the same time we bought that...
0:16:56 > 0:17:01- as we'd bought this one, they let us have this for 30.- Yes.- And then we went back and got this for about 60.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Right, right, right.
0:17:03 > 0:17:10Well, really for studio glass of this quality and just such wonderful pieces,
0:17:10 > 0:17:12it's not out of the way at all,
0:17:12 > 0:17:17and today I'm sure you'd have to pay well over £200 for it,
0:17:17 > 0:17:23and a bit less for these flat-blown pieces, so thank you so much for bringing it, and great to see it.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Thank you, thank you, yes.
0:17:25 > 0:17:30This is a Caterpillar Club badge that was presented to my father.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33He was in the Second World War, and these
0:17:33 > 0:17:38were presented, as I understand it, to people whose lives were saved
0:17:38 > 0:17:41by parachute, the connection being the caterpillar, the silkworm,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44- the parachutes were made of silk. - And did he get back safely?
0:17:44 > 0:17:47He was, he spent the rest of the war in Stalag IV B
0:17:47 > 0:17:50in a POW camp, and made it back at the end of the war.
0:17:50 > 0:17:56Right, well, you've got the certificate and of course it was awarded along with the certificate
0:17:56 > 0:17:58so it's nice to have the certificate of membership.
0:17:58 > 0:18:05Er, very interesting because the Irving Air Chute Company instituted in 1922,
0:18:05 > 0:18:12the Caterpillar Club, so as you say, everyone who was saved when they bailed out of an aircraft
0:18:12 > 0:18:18by parachute would have been a member of the club and would have been awarded a little gold caterpillar.
0:18:18 > 0:18:25What I think is extraordinary is how the Irving Air Chute Company with their parachutes saved so many lives.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28- Do you know how many lives they saved?- Thousands, I would imagine.
0:18:28 > 0:18:34Thousands, well by the end of the war, they saved over 20,000 lives,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37- so this saved his life.- Yes.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41And he spent the rest of the war in relative security, I suppose, out of harm's way.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45- Apart from the cold, he used to complain about.- Apart from the cold,
0:18:45 > 0:18:47yes. I think what's wonderful
0:18:47 > 0:18:53is that he is now a member of a rather select club, the Caterpillar Club,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56and today they do come up on the market.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00The caterpillar, which is made of gold of course, and the certificate,
0:19:00 > 0:19:05- would be worth something in the region of £200 to £250.- Really?
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Well, that is a surprise, that's excellent, thank you very much.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Now I know it's a sin,
0:19:13 > 0:19:18and standing here in the gardens of the Bishop's Palace I feel doubly guilty,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21but I really covet this piece - I would love to go home with it.
0:19:21 > 0:19:26- You can't have it!- It really speaks to me because it's so full of energy
0:19:26 > 0:19:30and when you first showed it to me, I thought, "It's a piece of ormolu",
0:19:30 > 0:19:32you know, it's a piece of cast metal,
0:19:32 > 0:19:36but then when you pick it up, it's very light and in fact it's made from
0:19:36 > 0:19:39carved wood with gilt gesso on it -
0:19:39 > 0:19:43it is breathtakingly beautiful, why did you get, how did you get it?
0:19:43 > 0:19:47Um, well for the same reason you wanted it!
0:19:47 > 0:19:48I saw it and I wanted it.
0:19:48 > 0:19:54Another reason was that it was slightly disguised.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58- Ah.- At some time it had had an additional bit on the back,
0:19:58 > 0:20:03in plaster, er, and it made it look slightly iffy.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06But you only have to look at the front, and you know.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08So you took off that addition.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10We took the back off, yes.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12- Right.- So in a way I like it,
0:20:12 > 0:20:16because it was rescued, because the dealer hadn't a clue what it was,
0:20:16 > 0:20:20that's always a great pleasure to, you know,
0:20:20 > 0:20:22have one up on a dealer.
0:20:22 > 0:20:28I love it, I also love it because I can also imagine the pot that I'm going to put on top.
0:20:28 > 0:20:33It had cream ware, shepherd and shepherdess on top.
0:20:33 > 0:20:38- Oh, lovely.- Which will probably go back.- I think it's English rather than French,
0:20:38 > 0:20:42and it's first period Rococo, so we're talking about 1725-1730.
0:20:42 > 0:20:48- As early as that?- Um, so very early and just breathtaking quality.
0:20:48 > 0:20:54And I know it's had a few knocks and a few bashes but I think that adds to the overall patina of it all,
0:20:54 > 0:20:59it just speaks of age, quality, and this wonderful flowing carving, it just...
0:20:59 > 0:21:02I'm very excited to have it in my hands.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Um, when did you buy it?
0:21:05 > 0:21:10Um, it must have been about 45-50 years ago.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14- Oh, where from? - Well, it was in the Portobello Road.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18- Where all the bargains were made all those 40 or 50 years ago.- Yes, yes.
0:21:18 > 0:21:23I'm pretty certain there was a degree of fierce bargaining over it.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27- I probably paid £70... £80 for it I think.- £70 to £80.
0:21:27 > 0:21:34I remember thinking that he knew it wasn't rubbish at the time, but I thought it was well worth that.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37So he probably thought it was a 19th-century reproduction
0:21:37 > 0:21:42and you could see that it was actually an 18th-century original. Quality speaks through, doesn't it?
0:21:42 > 0:21:46- Doesn't it?- Well, today I could see this in a smart West End shop
0:21:46 > 0:21:49and they wouldn't be asking £40 or £50.
0:21:49 > 0:21:54I think they'd be asking £6,000 - £7,500. Um, and if you had
0:21:54 > 0:21:57a pair they'd be more like £20,000.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01- Sadly I haven't.- Anyway, it's a fabulous piece, I hope you enjoy it
0:22:01 > 0:22:03and I hope you get it up back on your wall as soon as possible.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08So tell me, where have you been shopping for this?
0:22:08 > 0:22:12Well, when we bought our house, this furniture was in the hall
0:22:12 > 0:22:17and the previous owner offered to sell it to us and it looked so right
0:22:17 > 0:22:22in the hall that we agreed to buy it and then probably a week
0:22:22 > 0:22:28before we took possession of the house, he decided to send it to the saleroom so...
0:22:28 > 0:22:32so I had to go to the salerooms at Darlington and bid for it.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36We understood the previous owner of the house that had owned the furniture, his wife
0:22:36 > 0:22:42was from Scandinavian descent, we were told that his furniture belonged to her grandparents.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47- So can we date that, by that history then?- Well, I think it would be late, late 19th century.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50- You don't need me here at all.- Is it right then?- Exactly right.- Oh.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53I think there aren't many people who know about this type
0:22:53 > 0:22:57of furniture, it's quite scarce and very scarce in this country anyway. But it is certainly Scandinavian.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00- Thank you. - My guess would be it's Norwegian.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02Firstly the wood is pine.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04- Pine.- So that is a... Why not?
0:23:04 > 0:23:08In Scandinavia there's plenty of pine trees, so that's a start, it's not always a clue, but it's a good one.
0:23:08 > 0:23:15I love the style of this - what is so interesting is the historical background behind all this.
0:23:15 > 0:23:20Most countries in the 19th century had the historismus or historical revival style started.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23In England we have the Jacobean revival, Elizabethan revival
0:23:23 > 0:23:26and the so-called Jacobethan when the styles were all muddled up together.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Well, most countries throughout Europe
0:23:29 > 0:23:33and the developed world started to go back to their own historical past to see "What can we do?
0:23:33 > 0:23:36"What can we actually produce of our past?"
0:23:36 > 0:23:41and Norway especially, and to a certain extent Denmark, were creating their own Viking style.
0:23:41 > 0:23:46And this would be known as Old Norse or Fornordisk...
0:23:46 > 0:23:49I think... I can't pronounce it in Danish, but anyway Fornordisk style
0:23:49 > 0:23:52which from about 1870 they were starting looking at
0:23:52 > 0:23:59their early furniture, so they're using these designs copying this Runic design, sort of early Runic,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02so this would be the latter part of the 19th century...
0:24:02 > 0:24:06you could see that on a piece of worn early pre-Saxon Viking type carving, even in this country...
0:24:06 > 0:24:11You think of the Danes, the Vikings coming over here, especially the North of England, it's the sort
0:24:11 > 0:24:14of style you might see in a church round here, no reason why not at all.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18And again this, this is typical, you can imagine the prow of a big Viking ship.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20- Yes.- Having that on, that's exactly where it's from
0:24:20 > 0:24:22- and it's got the same style here actually.- Yes.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26Slightly different so they actually don't match, interestingly enough.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28I suspect this is slightly earlier.
0:24:28 > 0:24:33- Really?- Because it's a little bit of sort of Gothic influence, the English Gothic influence,
0:24:33 > 0:24:39the Arts and Crafts Movement, William Morris and I think that that's slightly earlier, 1870-1880,
0:24:39 > 0:24:44and that's the first thing, hang on, as I just said, we've got people who are reviving all over Europe,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47the old styles, "We'll throw a bit of Gothic in but what's our style?"
0:24:47 > 0:24:50The Runic style, the Old Norse style.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52It's very interesting to see that and this,
0:24:52 > 0:24:58again, the whole thing is completely decorated in this Old Norse style, so what was the value you agreed?
0:24:58 > 0:25:03I think it was only maybe £200 to £300 for each piece.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05And this is what, 30 years ago?
0:25:05 > 0:25:08It was in '72, 1972.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10Er, that bench today I would...
0:25:10 > 0:25:12for a retail replacement...
0:25:12 > 0:25:15so if you went to a shop to buy it and the shop, the chap knew about
0:25:15 > 0:25:19this modern interest in Norwegian and Danish furniture,
0:25:19 > 0:25:24I would insure that for £1,000 and the table...
0:25:24 > 0:25:26I think I prefer the table myself.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29- Yes.- So I must be careful not to overvalue it.- I do. - You do as well? So...- I do.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33- I think yes, we'll put £1,250 as we both like it.- Yes.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36- On the table.- Thank you very much. - Thank you, antiques of the future.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Yes, thank you very much.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Philip, thanks for taking a few minutes from your table. I have to ask you about these paintings.
0:25:45 > 0:25:50Jacob and his 12 sons, there's a campaign to save them. What is the story?
0:25:50 > 0:25:52I must say it's nice to come in from the madding crowd
0:25:52 > 0:25:55for a moment or two, particularly to be with this illustrious lot.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59These are hugely important, Michael, these are by Francisco Zurbaran,
0:25:59 > 0:26:03who was one of the big big names in 17th-century art
0:26:03 > 0:26:07and one of the biggest names certainly in Spain,
0:26:07 > 0:26:11and the story of them is even more epic.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14They were commissioned for a missionary group in Mexico,
0:26:14 > 0:26:20Zurbaran sends them over by sea and then allegedly pirates grab the boat,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23and certainly they must have been fairly sophisticated pirates
0:26:23 > 0:26:28because they knew what they had, and these things then end up in London.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32And in the 18th century, they were bought by Bishop Trevor.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34- The Bishop of Durham. - The Bishop of Durham.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Well, the Church Commissioners obviously think they're a great asset...
0:26:37 > 0:26:39Are they valuable, are they good?
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Well, they are really, really good pictures.
0:26:41 > 0:26:46I can't overstress how important they are, I mean firstly they're hugely valuable, they're worth,
0:26:46 > 0:26:47I suspect over 20 million...
0:26:47 > 0:26:50who knows where they might end up at auction...
0:26:50 > 0:26:54but they also exemplify what the artist was about - he had a sort of almost filmic clarity
0:26:54 > 0:27:00and a sense of illusion and naturalism about the way he could paint, in fact you could even say
0:27:00 > 0:27:03that up close they look like film stills...
0:27:03 > 0:27:05rather cunningly taken film stills...
0:27:05 > 0:27:07from a well-lit studio.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11- What was that price again?- Over 20 million.- So what are the prospects?
0:27:11 > 0:27:14The prospects are quite good so far.
0:27:14 > 0:27:21The Church Commissioners wanted to sell them and Bishop Tom Wright and his wife Maggie...
0:27:21 > 0:27:23the present Bishop of Durham...
0:27:23 > 0:27:29led a very successful campaign and they've achieved a stay of execution, about five years.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32They've got five years, you've had five minutes. Back to the garden.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34I'm off, yes.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Tell me, how did this get into such a grubby state?
0:27:41 > 0:27:45It was actually like that when I bought it, it was a bit worse actually, somebody told me
0:27:45 > 0:27:47you're not supposed to clean it, but I've had a go.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Well, no, no, you should do, you should do. So where did you buy it?
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Um, it was actually a car-boot sale.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56- Now this sounds promising, how much did you pay for it?- Just £10.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59£10. What made you buy it?
0:27:59 > 0:28:04Just the fact that it would stand up and I knew it was silver
0:28:04 > 0:28:09because it was in amongst loads of, like, silver-plated and electro-plated silver.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14I mean, you're absolutely right, so what we've got in here
0:28:14 > 0:28:19- are the hallmarks for Birmingham for 1903.- Right.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23But next to it, there's the maker's mark
0:28:23 > 0:28:27and that becomes very interesting. Do you know who made it?
0:28:27 > 0:28:32- No, I haven't got a clue, no. - No, it's by Liberty & Company.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35Now it gets even more interesting
0:28:35 > 0:28:39because this decoration
0:28:39 > 0:28:43is absolutely typical of Archibald Knox.
0:28:45 > 0:28:50- Archibald Knox was so important in English art history.- Yes.
0:28:50 > 0:28:56Because he was the chap who introduced this celtic form into Art Nouveau
0:28:56 > 0:29:02so today, Archibald Knox does make a huge difference and especially when you've got the enamel.
0:29:02 > 0:29:07- Yeah.- We have got a little bit of a problem -
0:29:07 > 0:29:10- the actual catch section is missing there.- Yeah.
0:29:10 > 0:29:17Not too serious, that can be attended to, so your £10-worth,
0:29:17 > 0:29:24what's that today? In this condition we're looking at about, at auction,
0:29:24 > 0:29:30say they would estimate I think between £300 and £400.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33- Wow. - So you've done OK for your tenner.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36- Yeah, yeah. - Well done, you.- Thank you.
0:29:36 > 0:29:41This gentleman is exquisitely sculpted, I think, I love it,
0:29:41 > 0:29:45absolutely love it, I think I would happily take it home and own it. What I'm going to have to do,
0:29:45 > 0:29:49I'm going to have to look at it, because essentially I need to know who it's by.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52It's signed Pilkington Jackson, 1928.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56- He was born in the 19th century, wasn't he? In the what, 1870s.- 1887.
0:29:56 > 0:29:591887, right, OK,
0:29:59 > 0:30:04I think he's kind of not well known enough, to be honest with you.
0:30:04 > 0:30:09- I think you might get a different response in Scotland.- Yes, I think you might well be right.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12I mean what do you know about this bronze? Is it a family item or...?
0:30:12 > 0:30:16It was given to my grandfather by the sculptor.
0:30:16 > 0:30:21Um, the history is that during the 1920s a committee was set up
0:30:21 > 0:30:25to buy David Livingstone's birthplace at Blantyre,
0:30:25 > 0:30:28do it up because it was very much in ruins.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31- Yes.- And set it up as a museum to David Livingstone.- Yes.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35And part of the intent was to get
0:30:35 > 0:30:39a series of mobile backlit tableaux.
0:30:39 > 0:30:44- Right.- Sculpted, illustrating various phases of Livingstone's life.
0:30:44 > 0:30:51- Right.- And they commissioned Pilkington, Jackson and Haswell Miller to do these two artefacts.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53- My grandfather was chairman of this committee.- Right.
0:30:53 > 0:31:00- Which is how he was involved and he and Pilkington Jackson became friends.- I see.- And this
0:31:00 > 0:31:05is a studio model for what was eventually a tableau in wood.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07So this, even though it's in bronze,
0:31:07 > 0:31:11- it's almost a study for part of another sculpture.- Yes, effectively.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14Ah, now that's very interesting.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16Um, what's this that you have here?
0:31:16 > 0:31:21- Oh, this was a book that among other things illustrates various tableaux. - Right. And that's one of them.
0:31:21 > 0:31:26- And I think that probably is the one for which...- Ah, right, so this is one of the heads.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29That is Joseph Wainwright, who was obviously much older.
0:31:29 > 0:31:34- Right, OK.- I think this chap, his name was Bargey, he was a student in Edinburgh University.- Oh, really?
0:31:34 > 0:31:37- OK.- It was either one of those two.
0:31:37 > 0:31:38Ah I see, how fascinating.
0:31:38 > 0:31:43I know as a sculptor that he was largely responsible, or he was in charge of the sculpture
0:31:43 > 0:31:48- at Edinburgh Castle, wasn't he? - That's right, the War Memorial.- The War Memorial, that's right, yes.
0:31:48 > 0:31:53- In Waverley Gardens. Very dramatic.- Absolutely, that's why obviously you would say
0:31:53 > 0:31:57that he's much, much better known in Scotland.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01- Yes, right.- I have to say I think it's a beautiful piece, I think
0:32:01 > 0:32:06- it has such great ties and associations for you - it's obviously a very personal thing as well.- Yes.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08- And in some ways it's difficult to put a value.- It's academic.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10Yeah, I can't put a value on that.
0:32:10 > 0:32:15My feeling is that if that came for sale in London it would make around
0:32:15 > 0:32:23£3,000 and we're talking auction value, but it is exquisite and it's been a pleasure to talk about it.
0:32:23 > 0:32:25- Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31I've got two sisters here, now there's definitely one of you who would qualify for being zany, yes?
0:32:31 > 0:32:36There's one that's not here, the eldest one, probably.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39Well, I want to know who's collecting chamber pots.
0:32:39 > 0:32:44- They're mine, they're mine, yes. - So what on earth started you collecting miniature chamber pots?
0:32:44 > 0:32:50Um, these two little ones here belonged to my grandfather and when he died, we as grandchildren,
0:32:50 > 0:32:54were told we could select an item of our grandfather's
0:32:54 > 0:32:57and I chose the two chamber pots and started the collection from then.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00How much are you paying for these sort of things at the moment?
0:33:00 > 0:33:04Um, it varies, I mean I've had some bought as presents, around about £15...
0:33:04 > 0:33:07£20, you know, it varies, yeah.
0:33:07 > 0:33:12- Do you pay a little bit more, because they're a bit cheeky, aren't they? - They are.- With an eye in the bottom.
0:33:12 > 0:33:18- They have little sayings on them as well.- "Keep me clean, use me well,
0:33:18 > 0:33:20"what I see I'll never tell"
0:33:20 > 0:33:23- Yes, well there you are, promises, promises.- Yes.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25We know it was made abroad because it says "foreign" on the base.
0:33:25 > 0:33:31- Yes.- So that was an introduction with these, your grandfather was a bit of a collector?- He was, yes.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33- OK, because he collected this figure. - He did, yes.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36And so this was something that you were able to choose?
0:33:36 > 0:33:38Did you both have a choice?
0:33:38 > 0:33:41Yes, it was quite a vast collection really.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44- I chose a lot of glassware which I've got at home, yes.- Did you?
0:33:44 > 0:33:50Yeah. It was possibly one of those things that was left and it's not the most pretty item, but...
0:33:50 > 0:33:53- Don't you think so?- No.- All in the eye of the beholder, isn't it?
0:33:53 > 0:33:58- So you, it wasn't you, was it? - No, no, no.- No, OK, we've got that established, haven't we?- Yes.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00- And then you say there's a mark on the back.- There is, yes.
0:34:00 > 0:34:05OK and I'll read if from here because it says "C Vyse 1931 Chelsea".
0:34:05 > 0:34:09Charles Vyse, good potter, Charlie Vyse.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11- OK.- Quite a regular exhibitor,
0:34:11 > 0:34:17- he was exhibiting from about 1919 way up until 1963.- OK.
0:34:17 > 0:34:24And he was based in Chelsea, in Cheyney, or near Cheyney Walk.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28He is, for me, the three-dimensional Laura Knight,
0:34:28 > 0:34:33in other words, whereas Laura Knight was going out there painting Romanies
0:34:33 > 0:34:39and travellers, Vyse for his part was going out modelling these people.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42- Right.- Um, not just travellers but also, people off the streets
0:34:42 > 0:34:48in Chelsea, flower sellers, when there were real characters, but he did do a huge series
0:34:48 > 0:34:53of this type of figure, this is all hand-painted, no transfers here,
0:34:53 > 0:34:57we're not skimping, you know, this has all been very delicately done
0:34:57 > 0:35:02and just the modelling of this small child's face is so sympathetic.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06As I say he is managing to capture what Dame Laura Knight managed
0:35:06 > 0:35:09- to capture, capture on canvas. But if I can lift it off... can I do that?- You can, yes.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13Because it would have been bolted in and for the benefit of the camera,
0:35:13 > 0:35:17let's just look... there's the mark, look, C Vyse,
0:35:17 > 0:35:20'31 Chelsea, and not to skimp,
0:35:20 > 0:35:25but a little bouquet of flowers there.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27- Yeah.- So you know, whereas most potters wouldn't, you know,
0:35:27 > 0:35:34wouldn't think to put anything behind an object, but this object has been modelled to be seen in the round.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38- Yeah.- So I've got to tell you that this particular figure, if I wanted
0:35:38 > 0:35:44to go and buy it today, it would be in the region of £1,500.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47OK, now you're smiling.
0:35:47 > 0:35:52- Yeah.- I'm not so sure but that's probably why you're wearing those sunglasses, isn't it?
0:35:57 > 0:36:02- So tell me, he was a shepherd who had a blind sheepdog. - Sheepdog, famous sheepdog.
0:36:02 > 0:36:07And he was able to operate and do his job with a blind sheepdog.
0:36:07 > 0:36:12- They actually won trophies and different medals at different shows and things.- Amazing!
0:36:12 > 0:36:15Never heard a story like that before.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17And this was... This was his crook.
0:36:17 > 0:36:22This was his crook, this is, he used to make these as well but this is the one like in the photo.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25Oh, I can just see, I can just see perhaps the top of,
0:36:25 > 0:36:28the top of it there, and what relationship was he to you?
0:36:28 > 0:36:30He was my Dad.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32- Right, so obviously very special.- Very, very special.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35And was he shepherding locally?
0:36:35 > 0:36:41Yeah, Walsingham, Cuckfield, Woodland, other local areas and things.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44I'm going to give you that back because the other thing
0:36:44 > 0:36:46that you brought in is this, which I think is...
0:36:46 > 0:36:50I mean on a day like today, I have to say, just having it on my lap
0:36:50 > 0:36:54is bringing me out into a little bit of a flush,
0:36:54 > 0:36:58- but tell me what this is. - That's his christening gown,
0:36:58 > 0:37:00and he got christened in it
0:37:00 > 0:37:03and some of his family before that,
0:37:03 > 0:37:05his father and family before that.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08- Did he come from a line of shepherding?- No.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10Yet his christening gown,
0:37:10 > 0:37:14you can imagine this little baby done up like this,
0:37:14 > 0:37:20but he'd look just like a little new-born lamb - it's a wonderful mohair plush christening gown -
0:37:20 > 0:37:22I've never seen the like.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25And when was he born?
0:37:25 > 0:37:281914, he was born.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31So yes, this harks back to an earlier period, I mean this...
0:37:31 > 0:37:35it actually looks as if it's made out of teddy bear material, it's extraordinary, isn't it?
0:37:35 > 0:37:37I thought it was goatskin or something like that.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40It does, it looks like the real thing but actually when you look
0:37:40 > 0:37:44at it closely, it is actually mohair,
0:37:44 > 0:37:48so yes, this probably dating from the 1870s-1880s.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52Well, it is an unusual one and I think that collectors
0:37:52 > 0:37:55would be interested because it says
0:37:55 > 0:38:01quite a lot about the period and also the area - I could see that
0:38:01 > 0:38:08in a specialised auction perhaps going for £200, something along those lines.
0:38:08 > 0:38:14Not a huge fortune, but then I think it's an object that needs to be displayed.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18- Yes.- And there are only certain types of buyer who would display it,
0:38:18 > 0:38:20- usually museums.- Yes.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23And we all know what the state is of the museums at the moment,
0:38:23 > 0:38:27they're always strapped for cash, so that depresses the price a bit.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30- Yes.- But I think certainly we should be talking about £200 at auction,
0:38:30 > 0:38:35- I think it's lovely and it's great to put the whole thing into context.- Whole thing, yes.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41"My end is good to cheer the reaper heart,
0:38:41 > 0:38:45"when used aright I strength and joy impart.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49"MB 1767"
0:38:50 > 0:38:52- Your jug?- My jug.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54Are you any relation of MB?
0:38:54 > 0:38:59No idea who MB is, but it's been in the family for a considerable period of time, that's all.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02And how did it get into the family?
0:39:02 > 0:39:07The earliest recollection that I have is that apparently my mum
0:39:07 > 0:39:12found it in a rubbish tip on the family farm - it was being thrown away,
0:39:12 > 0:39:18apparently, and that, and in fact, there's another jug as well, not as decorative as this, much plainer.
0:39:18 > 0:39:23- And where is this family farm? - Gower Peninsula in South Wales, which is where my family comes from.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26Well, it is in pretty ropy old condition.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30- Yes.- From where it's come from. - Yes.- I mean if you've been on a dung heap for a few years,
0:39:30 > 0:39:33- this is what happens, unfortunately you go slightly scabby.- Yes.
0:39:33 > 0:39:38The technique used by the potter on this pot is something
0:39:38 > 0:39:41called slip decoration and slip decoration.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45You can see it best here, on this patch here...
0:39:45 > 0:39:50is something you can achieve, different layers of colour by staining a clay in different colours,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53- you apply them rather like icing sugar.- Right.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55In successive surfaces, you can carve through
0:39:55 > 0:40:00and do lots of whirly lines and then you cover the whole thing in...
0:40:00 > 0:40:02in this case, a very sort of honey-coloured glaze.
0:40:02 > 0:40:07But unfortunately a lot of the slip has rather lived up to its name, it's slipped off.
0:40:07 > 0:40:13This cream-coloured slip here that you see in the royal crown and in the flower, the rose,
0:40:13 > 0:40:16is what should have covered this unicorn and you can see it's gone,
0:40:16 > 0:40:18- it's degraded, that's the term.- Mm.
0:40:18 > 0:40:23And when we come round to the royal escutcheon, the coat of arms "honi soit qui mal y pense"
0:40:23 > 0:40:27and there it is with the Irish harp, the fleur de lys, the lion,
0:40:27 > 0:40:32again all of the cream colour has gone, and oh, but this fellow here...
0:40:32 > 0:40:35have you looked at the lion close up?
0:40:35 > 0:40:38- Yes.- Good, isn't he?- Brilliant.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41I mean he's straight out of Walt Disney or one of the great cartoons,
0:40:41 > 0:40:45the character is absolutely fantastic.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48We're looking at a form of pottery
0:40:48 > 0:40:53that came naturally to people living in a pre-industrial revolution world.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55This is a natural piece of potting,
0:40:55 > 0:41:00the sort of thing the industrial revolution killed, if you like.
0:41:00 > 0:41:07Well, 1767 is the date of the inscription and indeed 1767 is the date of the piece.
0:41:07 > 0:41:14It comes back again here and the MB is repeated, it says "Morgan Binaham"
0:41:14 > 0:41:16or so it seems to be. Morgan is quite Welsh, isn't it?
0:41:16 > 0:41:19- It is indeed, yes.- So you found it on the Gower Peninsula.- Yes.
0:41:19 > 0:41:24But it made a little sea voyage before it got to the Gower Peninsula.
0:41:24 > 0:41:30- It crossed the Severn estuary, it actually came from Barnstaple - this is a piece of Devonish pottery.- Yeah.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32Every time you drive through Devon,
0:41:32 > 0:41:38you'll see that wonderful iron-rich earth, the earth that provides the raw material for things like this.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40Have you had a valuation?
0:41:40 > 0:41:44We did, about five years ago, I suppose,
0:41:44 > 0:41:49and they said it might be worth £400 or £500 perhaps, maybe more.
0:41:49 > 0:41:55I have to just tell you that this is the best Devonish harvest jug
0:41:55 > 0:41:58I have seen on the Roadshow,
0:41:58 > 0:42:02in spite of its condition, it is still a glorious object
0:42:02 > 0:42:06and that's, you know, that's 21 years on the Show.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08- That's not bad. - So, um, so let's be a little bit
0:42:08 > 0:42:13more generous on the valuation, let's say between £6,000 and £9,000.
0:42:15 > 0:42:16Can you saw that again slowly?
0:42:22 > 0:42:24A very high-class tip.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30Oh, and found on a rubbish tip.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Thank you very much indeed.
0:42:37 > 0:42:42This is the sort of antique that fascinates me, it's a bottle of Bishop Auckland stout..
0:42:42 > 0:42:44Sadly, it's empty.
0:42:44 > 0:42:50Our day is over as well, so while saying many thanks to Bishop Tom Wright for his extreme hospitality,
0:42:50 > 0:42:54I'm happy to tell you he's invited us to come again, so we're going to.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58Until the next time, from Auckland Castle, goodbye.