0:00:38 > 0:00:42Durham Cathedral is one of the finest Norman buildings
0:00:42 > 0:00:43anywhere in Europe,
0:00:43 > 0:00:47its architectural importance reflected in its status
0:00:47 > 0:00:49as a World Heritage Site.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51The public are fond of the cathedral, too.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55In a BBC poll, they voted it Britain's best-loved building.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01Since early times, it's been home to a long line of powerful bishops,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Henry VIII's Prime Minister, Thomas Wolsey, amongst them.
0:01:07 > 0:01:12Today, the Antiques Roadshow is the invited guest of the present bishop,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Tom Wright, who you might expect to live in the Cathedral Close,
0:01:15 > 0:01:19but he doesn't, instead, he resides 11 miles up the road,
0:01:19 > 0:01:21in a town aptly named Bishop Auckland.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30The Roman road has led us once again through County Durham,
0:01:30 > 0:01:32to the beautiful grounds of Auckland Castle.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Our welcome on our previous visit was overwhelming,
0:01:35 > 0:01:40and from where I'm standing, it looks exactly the same today. So, let's enjoy.
0:01:40 > 0:01:41So, here it is...
0:01:41 > 0:01:45this whale's tooth, decorated with a ship.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47What's it doing here?
0:01:47 > 0:01:53Many years ago, my grandfather was a butcher in Wigan, in Lancashire,
0:01:53 > 0:01:56and he had to take his bones from the butchery shop
0:01:56 > 0:02:01to a gentleman called Mr Gallagher, who had a bone yard.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03And a bone yard was a kind of what?
0:02:03 > 0:02:07- Reprocessing?- Reprocessing of bones, um, to be made into glue.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11And while my grandfather was there one day delivering bones,
0:02:11 > 0:02:15Mr Gallagher gave it to him, and it has been in the family ever since.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19So, one can only presume, then, that somebody must have handed this in,
0:02:19 > 0:02:21as a bit of bone to be reprocessed.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Apparently. We don't really know the answer to that.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27It was either in a shipment of bones from wherever,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30that came down the Manchester Ship Canal.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32How extraordinary.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Well, whaling was a major industry in the 19th century,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39because, of course, it was the major source of oil,
0:02:39 > 0:02:44and oil was used for lighting and for all kinds of other purposes.
0:02:44 > 0:02:51Let me explain how this lovely design was put onto the tooth.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Because you can see, it's like a dot-to-dot drawing.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56- Mm.- And that's exactly what it was.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Somebody had an engraving of a ship,
0:02:59 > 0:03:01which they laid on here,
0:03:01 > 0:03:04and they pricked through the design onto a tooth,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07and you'd be left with a series of dots,
0:03:07 > 0:03:11which they would then rub in lamp black or something.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14- Something.- To create that wonderful black and white feel,
0:03:14 > 0:03:18- but that's how it was done. - It was there all that time?- Exactly.
0:03:18 > 0:03:24So, we're talking about a date, probably around the 1840s, 1850s,
0:03:24 > 0:03:26and...it's valuable.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28So, in this condition,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31we'd be talking about a figure of perhaps £600 to £800.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35For something as ugly as that?
0:03:40 > 0:03:42This figure means something to me,
0:03:42 > 0:03:46because instead of kicking a football around when I was a little boy,
0:03:46 > 0:03:53I was a rather strange child, and I went around collecting 18th century English porcelain figures.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57- Did you?- A peculiar thing to do. - Well, it's a very nice thing to do.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00I was walking around Brighton with my dad, I was 13,
0:04:00 > 0:04:05and we saw a Derby figure of Britannia in a shop window,
0:04:05 > 0:04:06and he bought it for me.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10It was my first piece of porcelain, the first piece for my collection,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13and that's why I find this so interesting,
0:04:13 > 0:04:17because that's what she is, she's a Derby figure of Britannia.
0:04:17 > 0:04:18Is she Derby? I didn't know.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22She's Derby, yeah. Well, we can tell that by looking at these...
0:04:22 > 0:04:25which are what we call patch marks.
0:04:25 > 0:04:30- They look like footprints. - What they're actually doing was raising the base
0:04:30 > 0:04:34- of the figure off the kiln shelf using little lumps of clay.- Right.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37And when the piece came out of the kiln, they just clipped them off,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40- and left these little marks here. - Right.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46- And she dates from about 1765. - Really?- Yeah.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49- That is...- She's a genuine piece of 18th century sculpture.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53- Do you still have your figurine? - I've got...in fact, I've got three.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Have you got three? Good heavens.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Mm, but I mean, what do you think of her?
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Well, I always thought she was rather ugly.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03- Ugly? Oh, oh, no... - Well, not ugly but not quite as...
0:05:03 > 0:05:06- I feel protective towards her. - Do you?- Yes.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Seeing her in the sunlight, her colours on her helmet are superb.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14- Absolutely, she's a great piece of work.- She's lovely.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16- I mean when you think...- Her face.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19In the 18th century, this figure was put together,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21these flowers are painted by hand,
0:05:21 > 0:05:26the chain mail on her breast plate, gilded and burnished by hand.
0:05:26 > 0:05:27It's lovely, isn't it?
0:05:27 > 0:05:30- Um, when I first saw her, I said "She's Britannia."- Yes.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32And that's because...
0:05:32 > 0:05:36although I've got a fairly decent collection of Derby Britannias,
0:05:36 > 0:05:40and she looks rather like mine, but she has some differences,
0:05:40 > 0:05:42- and that's what excited me about her.- Good.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44I am really excited about her,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47because I've never seen one quite like this.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49I'd like to add her to my collection.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53- And the oak leaves...- That's the thing, that's really the thing,
0:05:53 > 0:05:57- the things that are different about her is her pose is different.- Right.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01And she has, on here, this is what we call bocage,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04which is normally applied with flowers.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07For some strange reason, this is applied with acorns.
0:06:07 > 0:06:08I have never seen one like her.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10An ordinary Derby Minerva,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13- like the three I've got on my mantelpiece at home...- Yes.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17Um, probably only worth £150 or £200 each.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20This one is something entirely different.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22The marvellous condition...
0:06:22 > 0:06:25look at her finger, that's almost bound to get chipped off.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28- And it hasn't.- And it's still there, from 1765.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31- That's wonderful. - It's easy to value her,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34because I can imagine what I would pay for her,
0:06:34 > 0:06:38and I'd give you an auction price of probably between £600 and £800,
0:06:38 > 0:06:42which is, you know, four, five, six times an ordinary example.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44- That's nice. - And I love her very much.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48- Thank you very much. - It's a pleasure.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Hello, is that what I think it is?
0:06:50 > 0:06:54- It is, I think, yes. - Oh, good, come, let's have a look.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Ooh, come with me, let's have a look.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58- Has it got a mouse on it?- It has...
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Has it got a mouse? Mouse, mouse, mouse, mouse...
0:07:01 > 0:07:03- There he is.- Oh, there he is.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05We have one of these on every Roadshow.
0:07:05 > 0:07:10- Yes.- Now, how far away are we from Kilburn in Yorkshire?
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Um, it takes me roughly about an hour and a half from here.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16And is that where you got this from?
0:07:16 > 0:07:20No, no, I was left it by my husband's aunt,
0:07:20 > 0:07:24and I understand that it was made by the grandfather
0:07:24 > 0:07:27of the present Robert Thompson,
0:07:27 > 0:07:32you can see the tail is much longer than the modern ones.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Ah, but keep your finger there, look, you can see his whiskers.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38- Yes.- I never noticed that before, isn't that lovely?
0:07:38 > 0:07:41- Yes.- I mean, what I like about him, I mean this mouse,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44it was a wonderful story. He was carving in churches,
0:07:44 > 0:07:48the grandfather Robert Thompson, the original Robert Thompson,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51and he used to use the mouse as a little signature.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56- Yes.- And it signified to him industry in quiet places.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59That's the most wonderful saying, and that's become...
0:07:59 > 0:08:03tradition's been handed down, and we still treasure his furniture today.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07So, how old do you think this one is, from family history? Any idea?
0:08:07 > 0:08:10It's probably about 100 years, I would think.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14Or possibly 1920s, let's say, something like that. 80 years.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17- Maybe.- But it's the most wonderful, wonderful colour and patination,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20that glorious piece of timber, that oak,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23and all these birds, and it's wonderful, it's fantastic.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26- Yes.- Very sensible, on a hot day at the Antiques Roadshow,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29to bring this in, so you can sit on it in the queue.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31Multi-purpose, yes.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35- I think that's wonderful.- Yes. - I love that.- Yes.- What's it worth?
0:08:35 > 0:08:40I've no idea, I don't know, it was valued one time,
0:08:40 > 0:08:44maybe about ten years ago, at £400.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46I think this is a really fantastic investment.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Anyone who's got one of these, I say, hang onto it,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52because this, ten years ago, £400... I won't argue with that.
0:08:52 > 0:08:53Today, it's £1,000.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Yes, well, there's no way I would sell it.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57- No, no?- Definitely not.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59- £1,100?- No, definitely not.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02OK. I'll put you back in the queue, I think it's lovely.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04- Thank you. - Thank you very much indeed.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07During the second half of the 18th century,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10many artists would do the Grand Tour,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14they would travel throughout Italy and Greece,
0:09:14 > 0:09:18recording the historic sights of the area,
0:09:18 > 0:09:22and this is a wonderful example of a Grand Tour drawing.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Can you tell me anything about it?
0:09:25 > 0:09:29- Well, it's the Temple of Bacchus at Baalbek.- Great.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Um, and it really is...
0:09:32 > 0:09:35apart from being tidied up here... it still remains like that.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38So, you've actually been to the site?
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Well, I...yes, I'd been there before I bought this.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46- Really? Well, I think you bought something truly beautiful.- Well...
0:09:46 > 0:09:51I'm glad you think that, because I wouldn't have bought it otherwise.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53So, which temple is this?
0:09:53 > 0:09:55- This is Bacchus.- This is Bacchus.
0:09:55 > 0:10:00And it was turned into a fort,
0:10:00 > 0:10:06I think, about the 14th century, which is why it survived,
0:10:06 > 0:10:11but, um, there's a great temple, it's absolutely amazing.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14There are only six columns left,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17but each one's like the size of Nelson's Column,
0:10:17 > 0:10:21Trafalgar Square, and the podium on which it's built,
0:10:21 > 0:10:25- is built of stones the size of railway carriages.- It's astounding.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Nobody knows how they could be moved.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Well, what I find remarkable with this drawing,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34apart from the beauty of the observation of it,
0:10:34 > 0:10:36the cleanness of the line,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38this sort of precarious stack here...
0:10:38 > 0:10:40- is this still the same?- Yeah.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44Really? Right. Well, the drawing,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47signed and dated lower right here,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50suggests to us that it was painted in 1790.
0:10:50 > 0:10:55He was a French born artist, called Louis-Ferdinand Cassas,
0:10:55 > 0:11:00and he specialised in these classical, picturesque views,
0:11:00 > 0:11:06which were intended as records or surveys of historical sites,
0:11:06 > 0:11:08which would have been taken back to Paris
0:11:08 > 0:11:10and then sold to his clientele.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Er, the only thing that I'm slightly anxious about
0:11:13 > 0:11:14is the condition of it,
0:11:14 > 0:11:18because we have something that's well over 200 years old now.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21I don't think anyone's touched it since the day it was drawn.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24It's been on a roll for 50 odd years.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26You've never had anything done to it?
0:11:26 > 0:11:28I've looked at it every now and again, but...
0:11:28 > 0:11:32it's never been exposed to light.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Which is the reason for these wonderful, subtle washes in the sky.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39But I think it's just astounding.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42I mean, if you isolate even the smallest area
0:11:42 > 0:11:45in one of these mammoth Corinthian columns,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48and this wonderful carving to the capitals...
0:11:48 > 0:11:52- Where did you get it? - I bought it in the late '50s.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55I think I bought it at an auction room in South Ken.
0:11:55 > 0:12:00- I don't think it would have been more than a hundred.- Really?
0:12:00 > 0:12:02I'm a devil for a bargain.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05You certainly have a keen eye, because I think it's beautiful.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09It's something that the market would respond very positively to.
0:12:09 > 0:12:17I think this picture could certainly make about £7,000 to £10,000.
0:12:17 > 0:12:18Does that surprise you?
0:12:18 > 0:12:20But the auction rooms are not going to get it.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24Good for you, thank you for bringing it in, it's a joy to have seen it.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31- What on earth is that you've got there?- It's a copper flask.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Right, so what do you do with it?
0:12:33 > 0:12:37Well, apparently, you're supposed to put it down your trousers.
0:12:37 > 0:12:38You put it down your trousers?
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Now, I've heard of ferrets, so...
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Hang on...what do we do? Like that?
0:12:43 > 0:12:46- Put it down your trousers like that. - Yeah, so...
0:12:46 > 0:12:48- And you...- It IS like a ferret!
0:12:48 > 0:12:50- It is, actually. - So, what do you do with it then?
0:12:50 > 0:12:55If you work as a distillery worker in a whisky factory,
0:12:55 > 0:13:00in a distillery, you used to steal the whisky like that on the way home.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03- It's for pinching whisky...- It is.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Isn't that wonderful? I like it, I like it.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08So, they didn't get frisked?
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Obviously not.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Because I think that would be fairly obvious...
0:13:12 > 0:13:15It goes down the inside of the trouser leg.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19It goes...yes... Mm, right, so...
0:13:19 > 0:13:23Now, that's interesting, because it's very heavy at the bottom.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27Yes, it's got lead in the bottom, so that it's not dangling.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30- So, it just hangs the right way. - Yes.- OK!
0:13:30 > 0:13:35Well, I have to say, I've never come across such a thing ever in my life.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38- What on earth is a thing like that worth?- Interest value, I think.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41I think interest value is the answer there.
0:13:41 > 0:13:42You've got a gaping hole,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45- it wouldn't be much good for whisky at the moment.- No.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48- So, perhaps feed the ferrets.- Yes.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54One of the most interesting stories about the Second World War
0:13:54 > 0:13:58is an operation that nearly took place several times
0:13:58 > 0:14:02in the early part of the war, but didn't quite,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06and if it wasn't for a number of certain instances,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09certain things that happened in the early part of the war,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12- you and I might be speaking German now.- Quite right.
0:14:12 > 0:14:20And what I'm talking about is a plan by Hitler to invade Britain,
0:14:20 > 0:14:25and the operation, of course, as you know, was called Operation Sea Lion.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27It was an incredibly well-planned operation,
0:14:27 > 0:14:31planned for some years before the war,
0:14:31 > 0:14:35but I want to hear something from you,
0:14:35 > 0:14:40because you've brought along some books,
0:14:40 > 0:14:44and this book in particular says "Sudkuste" - south coast...
0:14:44 > 0:14:47it must have something to do with Operation Sea Lion.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51Yes, these are the maps that were repaired by the Germans,
0:14:51 > 0:14:55a lot of the photographs taken sort of 1937, 1938,
0:14:55 > 0:14:59when they were still having airliners flying over to this country,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02and they would have taken the pictures in the books,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06and then the Germans have related the photographs
0:15:06 > 0:15:08to Ordnance Survey maps of the time,
0:15:08 > 0:15:13and shown the areas which they would obviously use as landing grounds,
0:15:13 > 0:15:16I suppose, or for parachutists to land in.
0:15:16 > 0:15:22It does move inland quite a bit, but mainly along the south coast.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Who did they belong to?
0:15:24 > 0:15:29- Well, these were repatriated in 1944. - What does that mean, "repatriated"?
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Um...removed privately.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Right, OK, but from who?
0:15:35 > 0:15:38This was a relation who acquired this set.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42As far as I know, there were only four or five of these sets,
0:15:42 > 0:15:46that were published and are in this complete form.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49So, where do you think they got a lot of these photographs from?
0:15:49 > 0:15:52As far as the ground shots are concerned,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55- I think a lot of those came from postcards.- You're right.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Which the Germans would send when they visited England.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00Absolutely, between the wars,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03there were a tremendous number of holidaymakers
0:16:03 > 0:16:07coming from Germany to England, and they sent postcards back home,
0:16:07 > 0:16:13and they're a wonderful pictorial record of our coastline.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Because most people went to the seaside.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17And visited the seaside,
0:16:17 > 0:16:21so they'd have postcards, or photographs of the sea fronts.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24An incredible amount of detailed information,
0:16:24 > 0:16:28and I think, what I love is the fact that the postcards actually show
0:16:28 > 0:16:31details of holidaymakers having fun.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36- Yes.- And yet, this is an invasion plan for the military.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39It's an extraordinary collection, I have to say.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42That it's... These are more maps?
0:16:42 > 0:16:45- Yes, more maps.- Astounding.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48- Great Britain and Ireland.- Yes.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51- It's very comprehensive. - It is, you have railway maps,
0:16:51 > 0:16:56you have the gas pipe maps, gasometers,
0:16:56 > 0:17:02you have water supply lines, all the major services.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Liverpool. Do we go further north?
0:17:05 > 0:17:06I'm sure we go to Bishop Auckland.
0:17:09 > 0:17:10Here we are.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14- Sunderland.- Bishop Auckland! - Yes.- That's where we're sitting.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17- Yes, absolutely.- How extraordinary.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21Well, the 60,000 troops that the Germans had planned to invade
0:17:21 > 0:17:23on the first wave of invasion, never came.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25- No.- Thank goodness!
0:17:25 > 0:17:31And, um, we remained England, and forever may it remain so.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34- I agree with you. - Have you ever thought about value?
0:17:34 > 0:17:37I've no idea what the value is. They're...
0:17:37 > 0:17:42Well, they're very rare, I mean, it's an incredibly rare set,
0:17:42 > 0:17:46and I think, really, they do belong in a museum,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49but, if they came on the open market today,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52I guess they'd probably sell for...
0:17:52 > 0:17:54£3,000 to £4,000.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59Good heavens! Really? Really as much as that?
0:17:59 > 0:18:01Absolutely fascinating,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04and what an incredible period in our history.
0:18:06 > 0:18:07You have what you believe to be
0:18:07 > 0:18:11the only existing portrait of Shakespeare done in his lifetime,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14now, do you realise what a claim that is?
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Er, yes. That would make it unique.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21Now, let's start with where did you get it from?
0:18:21 > 0:18:26OK, this painting we inherited from my great-aunt Doff,
0:18:26 > 0:18:32and she got it from a collector of some note called Ogden.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35- The famous collector, Ogden? - The well known collector.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40- Yes, I know the name.- Yes, and she was bequeathed this painting,
0:18:40 > 0:18:44and she actually kind of staked her life on the fact that it was genuine,
0:18:44 > 0:18:48and she collected a massive amount of documentation to say that it was.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52Well, we went through that documentation that Doff collected,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55and it really looked as though there was a decent chance
0:18:55 > 0:18:58that it might be authentic, and in my view,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01maybe the chances are better of it being authentic
0:19:01 > 0:19:04than winning the National Lottery or something like that.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06You think that it might be right.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10I've got a copy of one of the bits of documentation here,
0:19:10 > 0:19:12which is an article done... '50s, '60s?
0:19:12 > 0:19:141964.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18Which shows the picture clearly, with this impressive caption,
0:19:18 > 0:19:22"Believed to be the only existing portrait of Shakespeare
0:19:22 > 0:19:28- "painted during his lifetime". - That's right.- I wish it were.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Since this article was published, since you inherited it,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35the whole study of Shakespeare and his face has come on,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38and we now know pretty well what he looks like.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43The reason for that is that we have corralled together three images,
0:19:43 > 0:19:47painted or sculpted or engraved just after his lifetime,
0:19:47 > 0:19:49or during his lifetime.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52There's the Chandos portrait in the National Portrait Gallery,
0:19:52 > 0:19:54then there is the Droeshout engraving,
0:19:54 > 0:19:57and then there's the tomb effigy in Stratford,
0:19:57 > 0:20:01and all three converged together, to create a generalised head
0:20:01 > 0:20:04that we can pretty well clearly call Shakespeare.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06- OK.- But there's a problem.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10This head looks more like that of a chartered accountant
0:20:10 > 0:20:13than it does of the bard of the golden lines.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15- OK.- We've got a romance issue here.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20- I see.- And so, what has happened is that a lot of would-be portraits
0:20:20 > 0:20:24of Shakespeare have been created, or rather plucked from the ether,
0:20:24 > 0:20:26using faces that look a bit more romantic,
0:20:26 > 0:20:31a bit more like what the writer of those beautiful lines should look like.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34As an art dealer, I get to see probably one false,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37or would-be Shakespeare, every nine months.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Now, what does he look like?
0:20:39 > 0:20:44Well, these three images point to a very specific head with a high dome,
0:20:44 > 0:20:51- quite a long chin, and loose, lank locks that hang about it.- Yes.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55And I have to tell you that this picture is not 17th century,
0:20:55 > 0:20:57which is what it should be if it's Shakespeare,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00and I'm afraid it's not of Shakespeare, either.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04It's of what I believe to be a cleric that has been adapted,
0:21:04 > 0:21:08with the benefit of that knowledge of those early images,
0:21:08 > 0:21:09to look like Shakespeare.
0:21:09 > 0:21:14Have you seen the area, the sort of slightly ambiguous looking area
0:21:14 > 0:21:16at the top of his forehead?
0:21:16 > 0:21:19I must say, I was always a little concerned about that.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21With good reason, I might add,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24because someone has actually extended his forehead,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27to make that dome look more Shakespeare-like.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29- Goodness, yes. - Quite clever, eh?
0:21:29 > 0:21:31- Yes.- But it doesn't stop there.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34If you look at that hand, it's painted in a rather implausible,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37- slightly manky looking manner.- Yes.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39And in that hand has been placed...
0:21:39 > 0:21:43- yes, you've guessed it... a pen, a plume.- A plume.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45What more appropriate, to look like Shakespeare?
0:21:45 > 0:21:50And then, just to finish it off, to complete this act of duplicity,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54in the bottom left hand corner, you see the Globe.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56- The Globe.- The Globe Theatre. - Mm, that's right.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58So this is quite a sophisticated,
0:21:58 > 0:22:03probably 18th or might even be early 19th century construct,
0:22:03 > 0:22:05but based on images from the early 17th century,
0:22:05 > 0:22:07and using an 18th century image.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10If this was the only portrait of Shakespeare done
0:22:10 > 0:22:12during his lifetime, such an emotive figure,
0:22:12 > 0:22:16you'd have collectors across the world scrambling to get hold of it.
0:22:16 > 0:22:21- Yes.- As it is, it's worth about £800 to £1,200 as an intriguing image.
0:22:21 > 0:22:27- Yeah.- With a bit of history that wants to be him, but sadly isn't.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31- Thank you very much.- Well, thanks for bringing it in, it was fun.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35- Lovely, we've got some books here from the library.- Yes.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39- And this looks a fine piece of 17th century vellum to me.- Yes.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43Yes, the title, "Underground Rome,"
0:22:43 > 0:22:46I suspect that might mean the catacombs, am I right?
0:22:46 > 0:22:49It certainly does, and this is a wonderful description,
0:22:49 > 0:22:51with masses of pictures and diagrams,
0:22:51 > 0:22:55and when I first saw this when I inherited the Bishop's Library,
0:22:55 > 0:22:58I was thrilled to see the sharp, detailed depiction
0:22:58 > 0:23:01of all the things that are going on in the catacombs.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Yes, I mean, here we've got this lovely figure, look,
0:23:04 > 0:23:08they're praying, presumably before they take these figures down
0:23:08 > 0:23:09into the bowels of the earth?
0:23:09 > 0:23:11I guess, yes, yes.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15And it says here, it was printed in Paris in 1658 and...
0:23:15 > 0:23:18This says 1659, curiously they've put another...
0:23:18 > 0:23:22- It does.- Yes.- They've put another year on it, which is not unusual,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25- because sometimes the additional title was published first.- Right.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Here, we have the title, "Roma Subterrania"
0:23:28 > 0:23:30and then, this is one volume,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34but in fact, I think we might find that we've got both volumes...
0:23:34 > 0:23:37- It's two volumes in one. - ..in the one volume.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39The catacombs, have you ever been?
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Yes, I have been once or twice and I haven't...
0:23:41 > 0:23:43I'm not an expert on the catacombs,
0:23:43 > 0:23:47but it is fascinating for me as a historian of early Christianity
0:23:47 > 0:23:50to go back and see what some of our forbears got up to,
0:23:50 > 0:23:53during the great persecutions in...
0:23:53 > 0:23:54from the 2nd and 3rd centuries,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57when the only place it was safe for a Christian
0:23:57 > 0:23:59was literally underground...
0:23:59 > 0:24:02we use the phrase, "going underground"... metaphorically,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04but for them it was literal,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07and there's the map of where they went. Quite extraordinary.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10- Look at that! That is incredible. - It's a superb map,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13but it tells you a lot about the history of Christianity.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16And it's a city under the city, isn't it?
0:24:16 > 0:24:17It is, a subterranean city.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21- It's such a wonderful thing, and it is THE book on the catacombs.- Right.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25- And in really lovely condition. - Yes, it is.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28I don't know whether you want to hear about value.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32It's not mine to sell, it belongs to the bishops of Durham in perpetuity.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34I mean, I think an insurance value for this
0:24:34 > 0:24:37would probably be in the region of £3,000 or £4,000.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Really? Oh, as much as that?
0:24:39 > 0:24:42- Yes, thank you. - Thank you very much, thank you.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46- How far have you come today? - About ten miles.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49Well, you've come ten miles, this has literally come a mile,
0:24:49 > 0:24:53because this was made literally over the hill.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56- Really?- And it's from the Canney Hill Pottery.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00What's so wonderful about this piece is that across England,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04so many country potteries rarely marked their pieces,
0:25:04 > 0:25:06but this one is marked, and it's marvellous.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Do you know what it is?
0:25:08 > 0:25:10Well, it's a flask of some sort.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12- What do you think this says? - I think, "railway,"
0:25:12 > 0:25:16and we're not sure, we thought it might be Cannon Street.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18You've been playing Monopoly, haven't you?
0:25:18 > 0:25:23- Could be.- Well, I've squinted at it, and it definitely does say "railway"
0:25:23 > 0:25:26but the bottom says "chronometer".
0:25:26 > 0:25:28- Does it?- Yes. And do you know what it's based on?
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Well, it's a clock face, isn't it?
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Yes, but it's meant to be a chronometer.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35- Oh.- Before the age of the railways,
0:25:35 > 0:25:37the whole of the country had a different time,
0:25:37 > 0:25:41so the time in Bishop Auckland would be Bishop Auckland time,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43the time in Newcastle would be Newcastle time.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46But if you're running a railway system across the country,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49everybody had to be on the same time,
0:25:49 > 0:25:52so they came up with these very accurate railway chronometers,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55and people carried them as their own watches,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58because they were seen as the most accurate watch at the time.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01I think this is the pottery having a joke.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04"We'll make a railway chronometer, but out of local clay"
0:26:04 > 0:26:07So, here we have a definite piece from the Canney Hill Pottery,
0:26:07 > 0:26:09and I love it, it's really wonderful.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12- Great.- I suppose we have to say how much it's worth.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15- It doesn't really matter. - It matters to the Antiques Roadshow.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19Because...if it was just that without the mark on the bottom,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22um, it's an interesting piece of pottery. £50, £60.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26With the mark on the bottom, that's going to make it more around
0:26:26 > 0:26:31£200, £250, because of the importance of the mark.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34This definitely proves that it's made by Canney Hill Pottery,
0:26:34 > 0:26:36which is the local pottery here,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39and any collector of local pottery or English country pottery
0:26:39 > 0:26:41- would give their eye teeth for it. - Really?
0:26:41 > 0:26:46- So, maybe £200 is conservative, who knows?- That's most interesting.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49- Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52We've had two wildly different valuations on this,
0:26:52 > 0:26:54and I wondered what your opinion is.
0:26:54 > 0:26:55The critical thing is the date.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57What date do you think this is?
0:26:57 > 0:27:00Probably about 1800, but we're not certain.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Firstly, the timber is wonderful, I'm sure you know what it is.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07- It's satin wood. - Isn't it wonderful?- It is.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11Just such a lovely, lovely colour, this wonderful figuring there,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14sort of like a fiddle figuring, like a violin almost,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16the way that goes across there is beautiful,
0:27:16 > 0:27:18and a lovely, bright yellow colour.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21I think this is West Indian satin wood,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24which makes me feel that's an earlier piece.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26It's just such a wonderful colour.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30- Why is this sticking out? Is that... - It's very...it is very stiff.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32- Right.- We've had difficulty getting the drawer out,
0:27:32 > 0:27:36we had difficulty getting it back in again, and as you can see, it's...
0:27:36 > 0:27:39- Scratching a bit. - It's scratching a bit.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41Well, that's not serious.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44These were made, they're called "brushing slides,"
0:27:44 > 0:27:47- but they really were made for writing, I think.- Right.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51People think it's for brushing down clothes, because of its name,
0:27:51 > 0:27:52but it's made for writing.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Everybody wrote letters in those days.
0:27:55 > 0:27:56No mobile phones, no internet,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59and you just pull this out, write a letter,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02"Thank you" or "I'm going to see you next week."
0:28:02 > 0:28:04I must admit, looking at this, the front of it,
0:28:04 > 0:28:07and the colour and the figuring of this...
0:28:07 > 0:28:09I think this is a late Georgian piece.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Let me just open the drawer a little bit, there we go...
0:28:14 > 0:28:18..and it's as clean as a whistle, beautifully made Georgian drawer,
0:28:18 > 0:28:20exactly what you want,
0:28:20 > 0:28:23typical of the sort of latter part of the 18th century,
0:28:23 > 0:28:27but it's just such a honey, and I really like that.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30This is a problem, it's going to affect the valuation...
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Has it happened today, in the sun?
0:28:32 > 0:28:36It's... No, it has been like that as long as we have known it.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39- So, how long have you known it? - About 30 years.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43- Right.- And it came from my wife's grandfather's family.
0:28:43 > 0:28:48But this, we don't think can have come from the family line.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51It wouldn't have come from an ordinary family with no money,
0:28:51 > 0:28:53- this has come from a noble family.- Yes.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55- It's a very expensive piece.- Yes.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58The finest quality timber at the height of the fashion
0:28:58 > 0:29:01of the Sheraton period of the late 18th century,
0:29:01 > 0:29:041780, 1800, exactly that sort of date that you thought it was,
0:29:04 > 0:29:05- or hoped it would be.- Yes.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08So, you've had different valuations,
0:29:08 > 0:29:11may I ask what they were? This is the dangerous question.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Well, the high one was 5,000.
0:29:13 > 0:29:19- 5,000?- 5,000, and the lower one was under 1,000.
0:29:19 > 0:29:24I don't want to be in danger of over-valuing, but I would say,
0:29:24 > 0:29:27put a figure of £10,000 on today.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29Is that insurance, or is that...
0:29:29 > 0:29:31- ten thousand for insurance? - For insurance.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34And by an insurance valuation,
0:29:34 > 0:29:37I mean buying it in a nice good quality, top market,
0:29:37 > 0:29:40top of the range antique shop, it's what it cost you to buy.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43Not an auction figure, what it would cost you to buy from a dealer.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46He might have restored it, looking like in showroom condition,
0:29:46 > 0:29:48but keeping this lovely patination.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50So, an insurance price, £10,000.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54Thank you very much, that does surprise me, thank you.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57Two lovely dessert plates from a dessert service,
0:29:57 > 0:30:00made by Flight, Barr & Barr of Worcester,
0:30:00 > 0:30:04somewhere round about the, um, the 1815, 1820 date.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06Have you got the rest of the service?
0:30:06 > 0:30:10- Oh, no, no. I wish we had. - Oh, my word.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14There would be something like about 12 plates and 6 dishes,
0:30:14 > 0:30:18or perhaps even more on a large dessert service,
0:30:18 > 0:30:20- so you're lacking quite a lot of those.- Oh, yes, I know.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22But how did you get just the two?
0:30:22 > 0:30:25A friend of ours left them to us last year,
0:30:25 > 0:30:29she'd bought them at Castle Howard in an antiques sale at Castle Howard.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31- Yes.- I think about 15 or 20 years ago.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34Yes. But it's very, very beautiful, isn't it?
0:30:34 > 0:30:39This is a lovely maroon ground, and gadrooned edges round there...
0:30:39 > 0:30:42painted in the centre with gorgeous birds...
0:30:42 > 0:30:45exotic birds and painted by George Davies.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47He generally was called Doctor Davies.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51He wasn't a doctor of medicine, but they called him "doctor"
0:30:51 > 0:30:53because it sounded rather nice.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56And surrounded with these gorgeous little, little flies,
0:30:56 > 0:30:58these are super little flies...
0:30:58 > 0:30:59have you had a good look at them?
0:30:59 > 0:31:01To tell you the truth, not really.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05They're absolutely beautiful, super little tiny insects,
0:31:05 > 0:31:08amongst this raised gold border, beautiful quality,
0:31:08 > 0:31:11and made, of course, in the Flight, Barr & Barr period,
0:31:11 > 0:31:17the mark is Flight, Barr & Barr, with the Prince of Wales' feathers,
0:31:17 > 0:31:19which pins it after 1813.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21- Yes.- Between there and about 1820,
0:31:21 > 0:31:24something like that, but absolutely beautiful.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26I think the quality is superb.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28- Good.- There would be four of these in a service.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32- Right.- And other dishes, and lots of plates going round the table,
0:31:32 > 0:31:38at least 18 pieces, perhaps 32, or even more, in the whole service.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40- Do you like them? - Yes, of course I do.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43I think they're gorgeous. I mean, they're sumptuous,
0:31:43 > 0:31:46real Regency period stuff.
0:31:46 > 0:31:51In value, of course, much more if you've got more of the service,
0:31:51 > 0:31:53each piece multiplies up enormously,
0:31:53 > 0:31:56but a couple of beautiful dishes like this,
0:31:56 > 0:31:58I suppose are going to be, oh, pushing...
0:31:58 > 0:32:03- perhaps towards £1,000 for the two. - Well, that's an awful lot of money.
0:32:03 > 0:32:04It IS an awful lot of money!
0:32:04 > 0:32:07- But they're beautiful. Look after them.- I will.- Enjoy them.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10Is there a special way you should look after them?
0:32:10 > 0:32:13- No, just treat them very very nicely and gently.- Yes.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16I always think treat them like you would a man.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20Lots of warmth and love and kindness, and very little washing.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24- Oh, right.- But enjoy them. - Oh, right, yes.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41Well, welcome to Auckland Castle!
0:32:42 > 0:32:43Hello!
0:32:43 > 0:32:45This has to be a car with a story.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49It is, yes, indeed, it's... they were built in 1935,
0:32:49 > 0:32:52and it first went to Rhodesia for big game hunting,
0:32:52 > 0:32:55and then it was taken by the Germans during the war,
0:32:55 > 0:32:58and then after the war, it ended up in California.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00What did the Germans do with it?
0:33:00 > 0:33:03It was used as a staff car, that's what the history says.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07The Germans would enjoy that, they could stand to attention inside.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10Then, it ended up with William Wrigley in Santa Caterina,
0:33:10 > 0:33:14- where he used it on his estate and he was the chewing gum man.- Yes.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16Which is why it's known as "Bubbles."
0:33:16 > 0:33:19- Now, it's here, where it started. - How did you acquire it?
0:33:19 > 0:33:22I'd been looking for something to carry ten people,
0:33:22 > 0:33:27and then a friend told me about this car for sale in America.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29When it arrived back after 70 years,
0:33:29 > 0:33:34the DVLA had the original numberplate waiting for the car
0:33:34 > 0:33:37when it came back, and they gave it back to me...
0:33:37 > 0:33:40It was staggering that they kept the number plate for so long.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42Does it have an atmosphere?
0:33:42 > 0:33:45- With that history, it must be odd to be inside it.- No, it's lovely.
0:33:45 > 0:33:50It's very easy to drive, and you get stared at wherever you go.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52Any idea of what it's worth?
0:33:52 > 0:33:55I think it's worth whatever anybody's prepared to pay.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59Right, let's have a look... I've got £8.50 at the moment...
0:33:59 > 0:34:02- What a scorcher.- Thank you.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04So, two tiny, tiny, little jewels,
0:34:04 > 0:34:08but I know that there must be a very big story behind each one of them.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10Tell me about them.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13This one, my mother bought for me some years ago,
0:34:13 > 0:34:16- because she thought I would like it.- Mm.- And I love it.
0:34:16 > 0:34:20It has a date and initials on the back, so I know it's very early,
0:34:20 > 0:34:24and I think that the design in the front is made out of hair.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28I think it absolutely is, it's sort of pulverised hair, and in a way,
0:34:28 > 0:34:31hair is really the only true souvenir
0:34:31 > 0:34:34that one can take from somebody who has died.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38This is a conspicuous mourning ring, although a beautiful one,
0:34:38 > 0:34:42and it says on the back here, quite plainly, "AM, 1767"
0:34:42 > 0:34:44We haven't got a clue who AM is,
0:34:44 > 0:34:47but what we do know is that this is his or her hair,
0:34:47 > 0:34:50arranged in a really sort of painted...these
0:34:50 > 0:34:52little pulverised fragments of hair
0:34:52 > 0:34:55are painted into the form of twin weeping willows,
0:34:55 > 0:34:58which is a very affecting image of grief, isn't it?
0:34:58 > 0:35:01Yes, I hadn't realised they were willows.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05And it's painted onto a background of ivory,
0:35:05 > 0:35:07and it's a haunting thing, really,
0:35:07 > 0:35:09and somewhere in the United Kingdom,
0:35:09 > 0:35:13undoubtedly, there is a tombstone commemorating this person,
0:35:13 > 0:35:15and perhaps this, and the tombstone,
0:35:15 > 0:35:19- are really the only record of their life, and so...- That's sad.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22It IS sad, and unfortunately, it does apply to us all,
0:35:22 > 0:35:27I mean we're just shadows passing, and this is a relic of a shadow,
0:35:27 > 0:35:31almost a ghost, really, and a beautiful thing,
0:35:31 > 0:35:32a neo-classical thing,
0:35:32 > 0:35:35and clearly you're a collector of jewellery...
0:35:35 > 0:35:39- I love antique jewellery.- Yes, a bit for those reasons, perhaps?
0:35:39 > 0:35:42- Do you find it sort of redolent of what was before, and...- Yes, I do.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46I think if things have a history, it makes them more interesting.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48We'll probably never get any further
0:35:48 > 0:35:51in knowing about the history of that one,
0:35:51 > 0:35:53but perhaps we know just enough,
0:35:53 > 0:35:56and in a way, it's fun to see it in conjunction with this one.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58Tell me about that one.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02Well, there is story to this, but unfortunately, I can't prove it.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04Haven't got the provenance. My father...
0:36:04 > 0:36:06it belongs to my father...
0:36:06 > 0:36:10and an old lady sold it to him, oh, many years ago,
0:36:10 > 0:36:14and told him that her father was a racehorse trainer for...
0:36:14 > 0:36:17I think it was Edward, when he was Prince of Wales,
0:36:17 > 0:36:21and he was given this by the Prince of Wales when his horse won a race,
0:36:21 > 0:36:24and she had a letter... or her sister had a letter...
0:36:24 > 0:36:28- but because they'd fallen out, we were never able to get it.- Oh.
0:36:28 > 0:36:33So, it has no provenance, but it has a little game...
0:36:33 > 0:36:35I think what you would do is you shake it,
0:36:35 > 0:36:39and the tiny little ball in there which goes into one of the numbers,
0:36:39 > 0:36:43so I would bet you £50 that it's going to land on an odd number.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47- My goodness.- Or it's going to land on number three.- Fantastic.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51- And then, on the inside, there's a compass, isn't there?- Mm.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55So, one's finding one's way through, sort of navigating through life,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58which in itself, is a huge game of chance, isn't it?
0:36:58 > 0:37:01I have to say I think the story's completely credible,
0:37:01 > 0:37:04and life is a game of chance, isn't it?
0:37:04 > 0:37:07They say a great deal about human existence to me.
0:37:07 > 0:37:08They're marvellous.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11I suppose, being a gift, you've no idea what that might be worth?
0:37:11 > 0:37:14No, I don't know what my mother would have paid for it,
0:37:14 > 0:37:16when she got it, she didn't tell me.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18I think it's a very desirable thing.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20Some people collect this jewellery.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24It's quite a narrow gang of connoisseurs,
0:37:24 > 0:37:27and I have to say this is quite a delicate one, highly unusual one,
0:37:27 > 0:37:30and I think that if that were offered for sale,
0:37:30 > 0:37:34- you'd have to pay £750, £800 for it.- Really? Good grief.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38But there shouldn't be a price on a thing like that, really.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41- I mean, that's almost a little sacred thing.- No.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43But this one, one can put a price on it,
0:37:43 > 0:37:47because price and money and chance, and I have to say greed,
0:37:47 > 0:37:50and all kinds of things are associated with this casino...
0:37:50 > 0:37:53- to hang on your watch fob, really, isn't it?- Mm.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56And all those elements come into life,
0:37:56 > 0:37:59and they're also hugely sought-after today.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02So, I think, if one was going to set out to buy that again,
0:38:02 > 0:38:05that's going to cost £1,000.
0:38:05 > 0:38:10- Wonderful, that's great, thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17I love voyages of discovery that start with a chance encounter,
0:38:17 > 0:38:20and you came across this lady in an antiques shop.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24Yes, I purchased it from a friend of mine who had an antiques shop.
0:38:24 > 0:38:29Just happened to see it one day and was quite captivated by it,
0:38:29 > 0:38:31and decided to buy it there and then.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35So, you liked the look of it, you liked the look of her.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38It was the quality of the painting that really struck me,
0:38:38 > 0:38:42not so much the image itself, but I thought the quality of the painting,
0:38:42 > 0:38:46and the fact that it was almost three-dimensional
0:38:46 > 0:38:49when viewed from a distance there, and there's something on the back,
0:38:49 > 0:38:51and it was very dusty...
0:38:51 > 0:38:53- Shall we have a look at the back? - Yeah.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56It was very dusty, and I carefully removed what I could,
0:38:56 > 0:38:59because I was sure that I could see an inscription,
0:38:59 > 0:39:03and I knew the artist's signature, I'd seen it on a number of books,
0:39:03 > 0:39:07and I thought I could see something that looked very similar
0:39:07 > 0:39:09to the artist's signature.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12We're talking about this rather faded area at the top right.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15- Yeah.- I can see an inscription in this light.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19The cameras won't be able to, but they'll have to take it from us,
0:39:19 > 0:39:22that there is something there. What do you make it out to be?
0:39:22 > 0:39:26Well, originally, all I saw was this which I thought was "Augustus John,"
0:39:26 > 0:39:28and then, as I cleaned more,
0:39:28 > 0:39:32I discovered that it looked as though it said,
0:39:32 > 0:39:36"G John by Augustus John, 1924, Paris" and there's also...
0:39:36 > 0:39:41It looked as though it was "For C Ruston," and I wasn't really sure,
0:39:41 > 0:39:43and then I looked further down here,
0:39:43 > 0:39:47and found that there was an inscription with "C L Rutherston,"
0:39:47 > 0:39:51and a catalogue number.
0:39:51 > 0:39:52Let me stop you there,
0:39:52 > 0:39:55because there are three very important points of progress.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59You found out who you think, as a result of the inscription,
0:39:59 > 0:40:02- who painted it.- Correct, yes. - Augustus John, big name.
0:40:02 > 0:40:07- It says who it's of.- Gwen John. - Gwen John, his sister,
0:40:07 > 0:40:08and you've got a name at the bottom
0:40:08 > 0:40:11- that would indicate where it came from.- Yeah.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15But let's just turn it over to the front again.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17So, before we try and conclude
0:40:17 > 0:40:19whether everything is as we think it is,
0:40:19 > 0:40:21let's just talk about the component parts,
0:40:21 > 0:40:25because you're dealing with a pretty explosive combination.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27On the one hand, Augustus John,
0:40:27 > 0:40:30one of the most alluring, appealing figures
0:40:30 > 0:40:33of the Bohemian art scene in the 20th century.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36In the 1890s, it was said that he dived into the water,
0:40:36 > 0:40:40bloodied his head and came up "a bloody genius!"
0:40:40 > 0:40:44and thereafter, pursued his genius in the area that he enjoyed most,
0:40:44 > 0:40:47which was female sexuality.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50With sizzling pencil strokes and brush strokes,
0:40:50 > 0:40:52he could portray female eroticism,
0:40:52 > 0:40:55even in the most formal of portraits,
0:40:55 > 0:40:57better than anyone else. That's Augustus.
0:40:57 > 0:41:02On the other hand, his sister couldn't have been more different.
0:41:02 > 0:41:07Introspective, a recluse, she became in later life, a Catholic convert.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09The high point of her activities
0:41:09 > 0:41:13was when she spent a couple of years in France with Rodin,
0:41:13 > 0:41:16whom she fell in love with, had this passionate relationship with.
0:41:16 > 0:41:20Difficult to determine exactly what happened...
0:41:20 > 0:41:24and her art, unlike her brother's, is reflective, introspective,
0:41:24 > 0:41:27she loves doing nuns, cats, self-portraits,
0:41:27 > 0:41:30so you couldn't get a more interesting combination.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33So you have here, I think,
0:41:33 > 0:41:36I'm going to say 90%...
0:41:36 > 0:41:38sounds rather sort of coquettish.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41- I understand.- But I'm going to give you a 90% attribution.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44I think you've got a 90% Augustus John of Gwen John,
0:41:44 > 0:41:48which would be the only oil painting therefore that would exist of her,
0:41:48 > 0:41:51- by the artist, Augustus John. - Correct, yes.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54We have one drawback to this, apart from the 90% issue,
0:41:54 > 0:41:56- and that is the condition.- Yes.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00And I don't know why people do this, and I weep to look at it,
0:42:00 > 0:42:02but people over-clean pictures.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06They take cloths, or sometimes rather more fierce tools,
0:42:06 > 0:42:10and rub the surface, and in so doing, remove paint.
0:42:10 > 0:42:11And if you look at the eyes,
0:42:11 > 0:42:14they've lost definition, they've lost glazes.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17- Doesn't have Augustus's eyes, unfortunately.- No.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20But it does have Augustus's nose, and his lips.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23- Correct.- And I think they are phenomenally done.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26- How much did you pay for it? - Er, £300.
0:42:26 > 0:42:32I can tell you that if this were just a normal Augustus John,
0:42:32 > 0:42:35of an average lady, given its condition,
0:42:35 > 0:42:41it would be worth £2,000, perhaps £3,000.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45However, as a provable portrait of his sister,
0:42:45 > 0:42:49I would have little hesitation
0:42:49 > 0:42:52in valuing it at £15,000 to £20,000.
0:42:52 > 0:42:58If the condition were better, if we could see more of her eyes,
0:42:58 > 0:43:04- I think we'd be talking about £50,000, £60,000, £70,000.- Lovely.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06Would it be worth getting it restored?
0:43:06 > 0:43:10We can do a bit with restoration, but there's a limit
0:43:10 > 0:43:13to what you can do by repainting what's not there.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16I understand, because it's not the artist's original work.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18OK, thank you very much.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22Really thrilled, thanks.
0:43:24 > 0:43:26Thanks again to Bishop Tom Wright, his team,
0:43:26 > 0:43:28and the people of Bishop Auckland,
0:43:28 > 0:43:31for another helping of North Eastern hospitality.
0:43:31 > 0:43:35It's been a grand day out, and now from County Durham, goodbye.