0:00:02 > 0:00:04This is one of Britain's most majestic rooms.
0:00:04 > 0:00:09Many years ago, a very naughty schoolboy clambered along
0:00:09 > 0:00:11this ledge, up over the figures here, onto the next ledge
0:00:11 > 0:00:15and jammed a tennis ball into the frieze.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17And then, when restoration work was done,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20the tennis ball was taken out, painted over and put back,
0:00:20 > 0:00:25and is now the world's only Grade 1 listed tennis ball.
0:00:25 > 0:00:26Welcome to the Antiques Roadshow
0:00:26 > 0:00:29from Stowe House and Gardens in Buckinghamshire.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Stowe House and Gardens belonged to the Temple-Grenville family who,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22in the 18th century, employed the best designers to create
0:01:22 > 0:01:25an inspiring landscape and magnificent architecture.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29But as the family fortune waned, the estate fell into disrepair
0:01:29 > 0:01:31and was on the verge of being demolished.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37The house was saved in 1923 by becoming a school.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41The majestic gardens were rescued in 1990 by the National Trust.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49And in 1997, The Stowe House Preservation Trust was created
0:01:49 > 0:01:51to restore it to its former magnificence.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53As you can see, they're still hard at work today
0:01:53 > 0:01:56here in the elegant music room.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58Many slivers of gold leaf are being
0:01:58 > 0:02:00painstakingly applied to the mouldings.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Stowe House is the largest restoration project of its kind
0:02:05 > 0:02:09in the UK, quite possibly in the world.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12The house was listed as one of the most endangered sites,
0:02:12 > 0:02:16as water seeped into the building and ceilings were close to collapse.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21When restoration began over the north and south entrances,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24the scaffolding became the largest free-standing
0:02:24 > 0:02:26structure in the world.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28This is before...
0:02:28 > 0:02:30and this is after.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37When you look around the marble saloon,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40you can see what all the fuss is about.
0:02:40 > 0:02:45This was built in 1775 and, I think it's fair to say, it's probably
0:02:45 > 0:02:49the finest and most elegant room in the land
0:02:49 > 0:02:52and it has no purpose or function as a room.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55It's just built to impress.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01It's a majestic, elliptical shape that is 56 feet up to the centre,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03or oculus, up there.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07It's based on the Pantheon in Rome and is a marvel of engineering,
0:03:07 > 0:03:09geometry and artistry.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16As you can see, the restoration work is truly worth it.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20These figures just appear to be bursting out of the ceiling.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26We're delighted to be holding our show in this grand setting,
0:03:26 > 0:03:30as guests of Stowe School and the National Trust.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34I think this is a Roadshow first for me.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37I can't remember ever having talked about a bed.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41But what a good bed and it wouldn't actually look that uncomfortable
0:03:41 > 0:03:43in one of the rooms here. It's got the right
0:03:43 > 0:03:46- presence about it.- Exactly. - So, is this your bed?
0:03:46 > 0:03:49- It is my bed, yes, yes. - A family piece?
0:03:49 > 0:03:53Yes, it was inherited from a great-aunt whose
0:03:53 > 0:03:55grandparents bought it originally
0:03:55 > 0:03:58in auction, in 1904, in London.
0:03:58 > 0:04:031904. So by that stage, it had already travelled,
0:04:03 > 0:04:09because this bed started its life at the turn of the century in France.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Although actually, looking at it,
0:04:11 > 0:04:16it has got quite an Italianate feel, but it was a smart bed,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19made in burr walnut here, this lovely walnut,
0:04:19 > 0:04:24an ordinary grained walnut, but it was a bed with a presence.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28- Now, you sleep in it. - Yes, I do.- And you love it?
0:04:28 > 0:04:30- I love it, yeah, definitely. - Why do you love it?
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Oh, it's just such a beautiful piece,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35and obviously it has real family... It's a family heirloom now.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38So did you know, did you know her?
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Yes, she was my great-great-aunt.
0:04:41 > 0:04:42And did great-aunt have a name?
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Auntie Connie and she was five foot tall.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47So she was very small.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50She was very small and, because the bed was so high at the time,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52she actually had to use a step to climb up into it,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55even when she was 99, when she still slept in it.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59Oh, how fantastic. So she had a pair of steps to get up into bed.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03- Yes, yes.- I mean I love this sort of architectural pediment here,
0:05:03 > 0:05:08but if there was one element that I could chop off and take it home,
0:05:08 > 0:05:13honestly, these are to die for, aren't they? They're so tactile.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16You know, you could just slice them off at the collar, put them
0:05:16 > 0:05:19on little plinths and have them as a decorative ornament. Not that
0:05:19 > 0:05:23I think in any way I'm suggesting that you should do such a thing.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27And it's a very masculine bed, so it's a bed that you would expect
0:05:27 > 0:05:31to be in a dressing room, somewhere that, when the husband isn't
0:05:31 > 0:05:35sleeping very well, he can slip away and sleep comfortably on his own.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38And do you think there was ever a pair of these?
0:05:38 > 0:05:40We're led to believe there may have been, yes.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44Because, of course, these days, one of a pair is...
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Everybody says, "Where's the other one?"
0:05:47 > 0:05:50And, of course, that must have a bearing on its value.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53It's fabulous quality. Where would you go and get another?
0:05:53 > 0:05:56But, you know, if you put it in an auction,
0:05:56 > 0:06:01its pre-sale would probably be somewhere between £600 and £800.
0:06:01 > 0:06:02- Ooh, lovely.- Wow.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Not that we're going to sell it.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06I don't think there's any chance from what you're saying.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09- No chance!- No, not at all.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13This is a piece that absolutely oozes quality.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16And the inscription
0:06:16 > 0:06:17does explain why.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21"The Royal South Bucks Agricultural Association
0:06:21 > 0:06:26"from HRH The Prince Consort
0:06:26 > 0:06:31"to the grower of the best root crop, 1860."
0:06:31 > 0:06:34Now, who was the grower of the best root crop?
0:06:34 > 0:06:37It was one of our ancestors, obviously.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39It's been passed down the family,
0:06:39 > 0:06:43so I should think it was probably the boys' great-great-great-grandfather
0:06:43 > 0:06:46that was actually presented with this cup.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50And it's super to have that sort of continuity.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53And, of course, when you think about it, 1860,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56that is actually the year before Prince Albert died.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Yes, that's right, yes.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Now, you don't see so many pieces associated with Prince Albert.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04As I say, that obviously explains the quality,
0:07:04 > 0:07:08all of this decoration is most beautifully applied to the piece
0:07:08 > 0:07:12and, of course, if we then look at the marks,
0:07:12 > 0:07:16we've got 1860 as the London hallmark
0:07:16 > 0:07:20and, not surprisingly, the Royal Goldsmith, Robert Garrard.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23But I do love this, absolutely wonderful here,
0:07:23 > 0:07:28the A, of course, for Albert under the royal crown
0:07:28 > 0:07:30and the laurels again, for the victors.
0:07:30 > 0:07:35What a piece. So...value...
0:07:35 > 0:07:36Mmm.
0:07:36 > 0:07:42I would suggest that, today, you would be very hard pushed
0:07:42 > 0:07:47to buy such a piece for less than about £4,500.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Goodness.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Right, thank you very much.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55That's...an amazing figure. Thank you.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Now, you've brought along this little autograph album.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Who's in it?
0:08:01 > 0:08:06There are a lot of signatures of Victoria Cross winners.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09- Now, why is that? Was it yours?- No.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12This belonged to my father-in-law,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15who took my husband to Windsor one day.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18At the Castle, there happened to be a garden party
0:08:18 > 0:08:20for the Victoria Cross winners...
0:08:20 > 0:08:23- Right.- ..and he collected these on the way out.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25So did he have the autograph album with him?
0:08:25 > 0:08:28No, he rushed along to Woolworths and he bought it.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Let's have a quick look in it.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33The first one we turn to
0:08:33 > 0:08:38says Reverend AH Proctor, VC.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Now, I happen to know that Proctor, who wasn't a Reverend,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44- at the time of the First World War...- Oh, right. Yes.
0:08:44 > 0:08:49..went out over the top of the trenches, because he saw two men.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52They were wounded. He went out under heavy gunfire
0:08:52 > 0:08:55and he dressed their wounds, took them warm clothing,
0:08:55 > 0:08:57promised that they'd be rescued,
0:08:57 > 0:09:02- after sunset in the dark and, after dark, they were rescued.- Gosh.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06And for that, he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Let's have a look further on.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Now, we've got one here
0:09:11 > 0:09:14for WB Butler,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17- West Yorkshire Regiment.- Yep.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21Now, he was in charge of a mortar in the trenches
0:09:21 > 0:09:22during the First World War
0:09:22 > 0:09:26and accidentally the lever of one flew off
0:09:26 > 0:09:29and it was in danger of exploding, so quickly,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32he took the mortar, put it in front of him,
0:09:32 > 0:09:35turned away from all the other troops that were behind him
0:09:35 > 0:09:37and said, "Get out, quick!"
0:09:37 > 0:09:40And they all rushed to safety and, when they had got to safety,
0:09:40 > 0:09:45he threw it over the top of the trench and it exploded instantly.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49So he saved all those lives and again, for that,
0:09:49 > 0:09:51he was awarded the Victoria Cross.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54- Now, how many have you got in here, do you know?- There are 37.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Now, that's very valuable.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00I think this is going to be worth...
0:10:00 > 0:10:02£1,500-£2,000.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06- For this tiny little book, tiny little book!- I can't believe it!
0:10:07 > 0:10:09My husband will be delighted.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Now, like most people of my generation,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15I will willingly confess to being a Beatles fan.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17I'm old enough to have grown up with them.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Indeed, I saw them in December 1963.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23So, here we have, rather unexpectedly,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25clearly a Beatles story,
0:10:25 > 0:10:27but it's something with a difference, isn't it?
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Where does it begin?
0:10:29 > 0:10:32It begins in the Cavern Club, back in Liverpool.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36And an Old Stoic called David Moors, who was 17-years-old,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38great Beatles fan, heard about...
0:10:38 > 0:10:40- He went to this school? - He went to this school
0:10:40 > 0:10:43and heard about the Beatles playing in his local town.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Went to visit the Cavern Club, I think it was a lunchtime concert,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49rather than the evening concerts, and thought,
0:10:49 > 0:10:54"This is a band that I'd like some of my friends to hear."
0:10:54 > 0:10:59He had the initiative to write to their manager, Brian Epstein...
0:10:59 > 0:11:02- Aged 17.- Aged 17.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04He invites the Beatles to come and play at Stowe
0:11:04 > 0:11:07and so, this is the beginning of a correspondence that we've got,
0:11:07 > 0:11:12starting on January 13, and then moving all the way through to April.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15This is the documentation of that gig, if you like.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18It's one gig, from inception to completion.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Which is a very, very rare collection of material.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24It's got the contract, it's got a photograph of the gig,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26- it's the whole history of it, isn't it?- It is.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Let's get this straight, this is obviously a Stowe story.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Where do you fit in?
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Well, I'm the seventh headmaster of Stowe and you'll be pleased to hear,
0:11:34 > 0:11:38I wasn't headmaster of Stowe in 1963 when the Beatles came to play.
0:11:38 > 0:11:43- Were you a boy, then?- I wasn't born in February 1963.- Fair enough.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46- I was a twinkle in the eye.- Yeah, OK.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49What surprises me is several things. One...
0:11:49 > 0:11:53I would never have thought the words "Stowe" and "Beatles"
0:11:53 > 0:11:55- had any connection whatsoever. - Yeah.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58What was it like for them, coming to play
0:11:58 > 0:12:01in a famous public school, straight out of Liverpool?
0:12:01 > 0:12:04I think for them, it was a bit of a shock.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Paul McCartney tells the story that, when he came to Stowe
0:12:07 > 0:12:10and the boys showed him round,
0:12:10 > 0:12:13the first impression that he had
0:12:13 > 0:12:18of some of their studies was how unbelievably squalid the rooms were.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22They thought they were going to see this wonderful neoclassical building,
0:12:22 > 0:12:26Palladian splendour and, of course, boarding schools in 1963
0:12:26 > 0:12:30were rather different to boarding schools in 2012.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Do we know the playlist for that great night?
0:12:33 > 0:12:36I think it started with Twist and Shout.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41And then the set progressed through Please Please Me, the album.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45What I love about this is the fact that, when Brian Epstein realised
0:12:45 > 0:12:48that he was corresponding with a 17-year-old boy,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50it would be good to have the whole contract
0:12:50 > 0:12:52countersigned by your housemaster,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55- because it's not legal if you're just at school.- Yeah.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Where does that take us with all the sculpture?
0:12:58 > 0:13:02- So, the sculpture, the link with the Beatles is David Wynne...- Yes.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06..who, of course, is one of our finest sculptors.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09- Did he go here, as well? - Here's an old boy. An Old Stoic.
0:13:09 > 0:13:14He was here in the Roxbury years, during World War II
0:13:14 > 0:13:17and he was completing a show
0:13:17 > 0:13:19for a gallery called Tooths and, in the show,
0:13:19 > 0:13:24there was a series of busts featuring famous musicians,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26so Thomas Beecham, the conductor,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30Yehudi Menuhin and a number of other people
0:13:30 > 0:13:33who were celebrated at the time and he wrote to Epstein, saying,
0:13:33 > 0:13:37"I'd like something a bit more contemporary, can I do the Beatles?"
0:13:37 > 0:13:39And Epstein wrote back to say, "Well, you can,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42"but you'll have to go to Paris, because the boys are recording
0:13:42 > 0:13:44"and they're playing at the Olympia Stadium
0:13:44 > 0:13:47"and they're there for ten days." So, David turned up,
0:13:47 > 0:13:51went to the George V Hotel. Modelled them with clay...
0:13:51 > 0:13:54- And the rest is history. - ..and the rest is history.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Now, we're looking at a lot of stuff and a lot of very important things.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00I'm only going to give you a global value,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03because I think breaking it down into bits and pieces is unhelpful.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07This is a great archive, it's a great range of material,
0:14:07 > 0:14:11you've got to be looking at at least £50,000,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14probably between £50,000 and £100,000,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17because of the intricacy, the rarity
0:14:17 > 0:14:19and, of course, the sculptural quality of the things involved.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22- So...- I will have to tell our insurers that.- Good.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Thank you, Paul, very nice to see you.
0:14:25 > 0:14:31- Do you know who she is?- All we know is she's a dancing naked girl.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33We're hoping you'll be to tell us.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36Well, her name was Lady Constance Richardson.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39She was of nobility, obviously,
0:14:39 > 0:14:45and she was a suffragette, an athlete and a ballet dancer.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49And she was certainly dancing at the time of Isadora Duncan,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52was influenced by her, and was considered quite avant-garde,
0:14:52 > 0:14:56because a titled lady to be dancing in scantily-dressed costume
0:14:56 > 0:15:02was thought slightly risque, so she was quite a gal about town, I think.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05And, obviously captured in this fantastic pose
0:15:05 > 0:15:09by the sculptor Carlo Troubetzkoy, Count Troubetzkoy
0:15:09 > 0:15:13and it's dated Paris, 1935.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15What's the history behind it?
0:15:15 > 0:15:18I think my stepfather-in-law would have bought it, immediately,
0:15:18 > 0:15:21in 1935 or 1936.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24He was a bit of a collector of sculpture and of paintings
0:15:24 > 0:15:29and we are lucky enough to have inherited it, my wife and I.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32And is it something that has pride of place at home?
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Yes, certainly, it's where everybody can see it.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38And gets a ring on its toe for Christmas.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Oh, cool!
0:15:40 > 0:15:42So I'm glad she doesn't just come out for Christmas.
0:15:42 > 0:15:47I think she has lots of energy, lots of exuberance, you know,
0:15:47 > 0:15:50a great history behind her and I think she was quite a naughty girl,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52- which I also quite like, as well.- Yes.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55Worth quite a considerable amount of money,
0:15:55 > 0:15:59I have no idea how much he paid for it back in 1935,
0:15:59 > 0:16:01but it wouldn't have been too much, I'm sure.
0:16:01 > 0:16:02I wouldn't have thought so.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Today at auction, I would see this as a figure between
0:16:05 > 0:16:09£15,000 and £20,000.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12That's very interesting.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36- Well, this chap looks a bit familiar.- Yes, Nelson.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42- The Horatio boy.- Yes. - And it's quite a glass, isn't it?
0:16:42 > 0:16:45It doesn't leave a lot to the imagination,
0:16:45 > 0:16:48"Conqueror at..." and then his great victories,
0:16:48 > 0:16:52terminating with 1805, at Trafalgar.
0:16:52 > 0:16:57So...where does Horatio come into your life?
0:16:57 > 0:17:02The glass belonged to one of my partners and he died.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08We used to use them when we went for dinner and that sort of thing
0:17:08 > 0:17:11and I bought them from the widow, both of them
0:17:11 > 0:17:15- and we use them at home, as well, from time to time.- Sure.
0:17:15 > 0:17:21The other being the matching piece, with exactly the same composition,
0:17:21 > 0:17:25with the portrait on the front, with the list of victories on the back.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31So you bought them when?
0:17:31 > 0:17:34- In about 1998.- OK.
0:17:34 > 0:17:40And what about the money, how much did you part with?
0:17:40 > 0:17:43- £750.- For the two?
0:17:43 > 0:17:45- For each one.- For each one.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48I'm going to have to kill you, you know? I'm going to kill you,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51because they're wrong.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54- Oh, are they?- They are.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59The amount of pleasure I'm going to get from giving you a kicking
0:17:59 > 0:18:03is none! I have no pleasure in telling you that they're out of time
0:18:03 > 0:18:05- by 100 years.- Oh, are they?
0:18:05 > 0:18:09They are! I'm really sorry to have to tell you, but they are wrong.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13- OK.- Now, let's break this down, in comprehensible
0:18:13 > 0:18:16and bite-sized pieces. This is a right glass,
0:18:16 > 0:18:20this one is right. If we look at the base,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24I think this is probably a period rummer,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27from the right date. So the glass is the right date,
0:18:27 > 0:18:29- but the engraving is 100 years later.- Right.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33If I exchange...
0:18:33 > 0:18:36then I think that's a wrong 'un. I think...
0:18:36 > 0:18:39you will see differences between these glasses.
0:18:39 > 0:18:44This has a polished pontil here and rather mechanical wear
0:18:44 > 0:18:47and I'm afraid that, I think, that this glass
0:18:47 > 0:18:53actually dates, not from 1815,
0:18:53 > 0:18:59- but more like 1925.- Really?- I do.
0:18:59 > 0:19:05Now, a glass dealer, by the name of Churchill, in the '30s,
0:19:05 > 0:19:09held an exhibition called Glass With History. History glasses.
0:19:09 > 0:19:15And a load of these turned up, like, a LOAD of these turned up.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20- And basically, they were made to meet a demand.- OK.
0:19:20 > 0:19:26So if there's enough of a demand and enough money is being available,
0:19:26 > 0:19:30people are prepared to pay the sort of money you might be familiar with,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33then they'll make 'em
0:19:33 > 0:19:38and the way they were sold, I'm not sure it was fraud,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41whether the people were buying them knew this, I don't know,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44because I'm not there, it's 1930s, but the fact is...
0:19:46 > 0:19:48- ..that they're stinkers. - Oh, you reckon?
0:19:50 > 0:19:56I'm really sorry. And so, you're into it for £1,500
0:19:56 > 0:19:59- and their value...- £100.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01- Each.- Oh, right.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03That's the good news, it's £100 each!
0:20:03 > 0:20:05- £150 each.- OK.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08- They have an academic curiosity... - Yes.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11..and for £150, they'd reach that.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15- But that's a little bit down. - It is, isn't it?!
0:20:25 > 0:20:27This week, our Basic Better Best challenge
0:20:27 > 0:20:30features some of the tiniest portraits
0:20:30 > 0:20:32we've ever seen on the Roadshow.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34But believe me, they have the biggest of values.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37They've been brought along by Philip Mould, our painting specialist
0:20:37 > 0:20:41and the Basic miniature is worth £150,
0:20:41 > 0:20:45the Better one, £7,500
0:20:45 > 0:20:47and then there's a great leap to the Best one,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50which is worth £65,000.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53Yes, have a look at home and in the meantime,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55I'll see what our visitors think.
0:20:56 > 0:21:01Yes, usually the smallest one is the most expensive.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03In your great experience of this?
0:21:03 > 0:21:06I don't know, I've not bought many miniatures in my life.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09- Have you bought any?- None.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13- Do you know what miniatures were used for?- Yeah.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Instead of a passport photograph or sending a photo to a friend you'd send a portrait,
0:21:16 > 0:21:18because there were no cameras back then.
0:21:18 > 0:21:23- Let's look at these miniatures here. - I would say the Basic is this one.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26- Because it's quite plain?- It's plain and ordinary. That's the Basic.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30I would say that the middle one is actually the Better one.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33I would say that this one on the end is the Best,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36I think it looks older and slightly classier, I'd say.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38I don't know, he looks a bit of a boring old chap,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41I think I will leave that with the Basic. Yes, definitely.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47Although, on second thoughts, he looks rather charming...
0:21:47 > 0:21:49- We're going to be a long time. - Move that round to there.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51This one's the Basic.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55- Right. - I think that's the Better one.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57I think that's the best one
0:21:57 > 0:22:01because even though it's quite simple,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04I think that they were trying to go for a simple look.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07- Simple, but classy?- Yes.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09- So come on, them,...- Um...
0:22:09 > 0:22:12- Well, er...- We'll be here all day! - We could, we could,
0:22:12 > 0:22:16- we could. I think this is going to be the Best one.- Right.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18This goes back to the Basic
0:22:18 > 0:22:21and this young lady I think is the Better one.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23- So, Basic.- Yes. - Better.- Yes.- Best.- Yes.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26- Final decision?- Absolutely, yes.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28- What a relief.- Which one...?
0:22:28 > 0:22:30- Can I take one with me? - No, you cannot!
0:22:30 > 0:22:34Oh, right. Right, OK. Thank you.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39Amazing - gold, purple, rich, amethyst,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42all together in one piece of jewellery,
0:22:42 > 0:22:44just says it all to me. How did you get hold of it?
0:22:44 > 0:22:49I was given it by a very old friend of my mother's for my 25th birthday.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53And she had had it in her family,
0:22:53 > 0:22:55who were a combination of Lee-Warners,
0:22:55 > 0:22:57who used to own Walsingham Abbey,
0:22:57 > 0:23:01and the other side of the family, were the FitzClarences,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04the natural children of the sovereign,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06and they became the Earls of Munster
0:23:06 > 0:23:09- and I believe it came from that side.- Gosh.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13So quite a provenance and just a magnificent piece of jewellery,
0:23:13 > 0:23:17which has lots of regal qualities to it in many ways,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20from the colour of the amethyst through to this
0:23:20 > 0:23:24very beautiful gold work, which is known as repousse work
0:23:24 > 0:23:28and it's basically the way the gold creates this lovely swirl
0:23:28 > 0:23:31and fluting effect to give it body,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34as if it's going to be a very heavy piece of jewellery.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37- Do you wear it at all? - Yes, I do, I wear it quite a lot
0:23:37 > 0:23:43and my daughter has worn it for about eight or nine years now
0:23:43 > 0:23:46- and used to wear it at balls, when she went to Oxford.- Fantastic.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48It's having the provenance that it has,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51it fits in with the makers, Rundell, Bridge and Rundell,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54who were Crown jewellers to George III
0:23:54 > 0:23:57and produced some of the most stunning pieces of jewellery
0:23:57 > 0:24:00from this period. When you pick it up, as I mentioned,
0:24:00 > 0:24:04it looks as though it's going to be a heavy piece of jewellery to wear,
0:24:04 > 0:24:06but it's actually relatively light,
0:24:06 > 0:24:09which is a good thing about jewellery from this period.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12The other thing about it is that it breaks up
0:24:12 > 0:24:14and you can play around with it
0:24:14 > 0:24:17and make some really interesting and different pieces of jewellery,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20using the different combinations of the parts.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Here we can see that there's a link at the top
0:24:23 > 0:24:28and also either side of this central amethyst section
0:24:28 > 0:24:32and so you can actually undo the chain and create a bracelet
0:24:32 > 0:24:34or perhaps, just a plain choker
0:24:34 > 0:24:37and maybe use the amethyst as a central section
0:24:37 > 0:24:39for the bracelet, as well.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42The combinations are there to be enjoyed
0:24:42 > 0:24:46and it's just wonderful that you are wearing it in that way.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49In terms of value, of course, we really do have a very
0:24:49 > 0:24:53interesting piece from this period in history and should it come up
0:24:53 > 0:24:57for sale at auction, if you ever decide to part with it, which
0:24:57 > 0:25:01I'm sure you're not going to do, with the association that it has
0:25:01 > 0:25:04and the fact it points in the direction
0:25:04 > 0:25:07of Rundell, Bridge and Rundell designers and jewellers,
0:25:07 > 0:25:09then we would be expecting it to get
0:25:09 > 0:25:12somewhere between 4,000 and 6,000 at auction.
0:25:13 > 0:25:19A pocket watch by Cartier. And a coin. What's the story?
0:25:19 > 0:25:23My grandfather was a jeweller.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27He collected things and that's really all I know.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30I was passed them down, one to my brother, which is the medallion,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33and the pocket watch to me. So we're very lucky.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36What I find fascinating about this pocket watch
0:25:36 > 0:25:40is not that it's by Cartier, although that's the icing on the cake.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Yes, it's a Cartier pocket watch,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46but the really unusual thing to look at, immediately
0:25:46 > 0:25:50looking at the front of it, is that the winding button is there
0:25:50 > 0:25:52below six, which is unusual.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56You would normally expect it to be up where the pendant is.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59When you turn it round, it becomes apparent
0:25:59 > 0:26:03that it has this rather unusual stand built into it.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07I have never seen that before on a Cartier pocket watch.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11And I must have seen maybe thousands of Cartier pocket watches,
0:26:11 > 0:26:15but I've never seen one with this rather beautiful integral stand.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19It was obviously purpose-made for a particularly wealthy client,
0:26:19 > 0:26:23who wanted his watch to sit in his waistcoat pocket
0:26:23 > 0:26:27and, when he wasn't wearing it, he could put it on his desk
0:26:27 > 0:26:29and there it would be looking at him.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32It's just the most beautiful piece of engineering in gold
0:26:32 > 0:26:34and it's a very beautiful dress watch.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37And are you pleased with this? Do you think you've got the better deal?
0:26:37 > 0:26:39- Yes.- Honestly?- Yes, I do.
0:26:39 > 0:26:40- Are you the older brother?- Younger.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42And you reckon you got the better deal?
0:26:42 > 0:26:45We didn't get a choice, but I was much happier with that.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47- I wore it on my wedding, as well. - OK.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51So if I was to tell you this watch is worth at auction
0:26:51 > 0:26:54- between £4,000-£6,000, happy? - Very. Yes, very.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58Shall we have a look at big brother?
0:26:58 > 0:27:00You're going to tell me that one's better, aren't you?
0:27:00 > 0:27:02What's a medal doing in a box?
0:27:02 > 0:27:06My grandpa's aunt was an opera singer
0:27:06 > 0:27:10and she was in a particularly prestigious opera,
0:27:10 > 0:27:15I don't know which. She was given that medal.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19On one side it says, "Royal Academy of Music for Operatic Singing,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22"instituted in 1822."
0:27:22 > 0:27:27On the other side, it has Gilbert R Betjeman.
0:27:27 > 0:27:32On the band, it says here, Margaret Ismay 1909.
0:27:32 > 0:27:38- Margaret Ismay was your great-aunt? - That's it.
0:27:38 > 0:27:39From what I understand,
0:27:39 > 0:27:44she immediately went off to Cartier, where they did a remarkable thing.
0:27:47 > 0:27:52They incised the top of it. Somehow raised it off,
0:27:52 > 0:27:57put a watch inside and put the cover back on,
0:27:57 > 0:28:00so that you can see the medal and you would never believe that,
0:28:00 > 0:28:04when you push the little button at the side,
0:28:04 > 0:28:07inside is a lovely Cartier watch. Amazing.
0:28:07 > 0:28:13Coin watches aren't all that unusual, to be honest.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17And Cartier did make coin watches, as did other manufacturers.
0:28:17 > 0:28:22But in this instance, when someone takes their medal around to Cartier
0:28:22 > 0:28:26and has a coin watch made out of it, it is pretty amazing, actually.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29I've never seen the like before. Now, who came out best?
0:28:29 > 0:28:31I love this bit.
0:28:31 > 0:28:36I don't know whether there are any opera buffs about who would pay over and above
0:28:36 > 0:28:39rather like medal collectors and that sort of thing.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41But I suspect there probably are.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43And I suspect it would interest them.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45Opera people tend to be fairly well-healed,
0:28:45 > 0:28:49and it has a Cartier watch inside. And it's a coin watch.
0:28:49 > 0:28:54I think he did a bit better than you, I'm sorry to say.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58I think this is worth at least £6,000-£8,000 at auction.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01- Wow. He's done it again. - These big brothers!
0:29:01 > 0:29:03My big brother does it to me, too.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05Somehow he always comes out on top.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07- You just have to deal with it? - You do.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22This week, our Basic, Better, Best challenge
0:29:22 > 0:29:23is a perfect work in miniature.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27Philip Mould, our art specialist, has brought along three miniatures.
0:29:27 > 0:29:33The Basic one, worth £150, the Better one, worth £7,500,
0:29:33 > 0:29:37and the Best one is worth £65,000.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41A massive value for something so tiny.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43I've spoken to our visitors, to see what they think.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47Philip, it was a very tricky one, this,
0:29:47 > 0:29:50and there was no consensus as to which was which.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54Now, am I right in thinking that these miniatures,
0:29:54 > 0:29:56or miniatures in general, were used by suitors
0:29:56 > 0:29:58to show what they looked like
0:29:58 > 0:30:02to the person they hoped to be betrothed to?
0:30:02 > 0:30:04I mean, they were very hot, intimate things.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08Often held in the hand, often worn close to the body.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11So, yes, they perform a completely different role
0:30:11 > 0:30:13from that of big paintings on walls.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16And a lot of the role of photography today
0:30:16 > 0:30:19has taken the intimate place of the miniature painting.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21When were these popular?
0:30:21 > 0:30:24Well, all of these are, in fact, from the 18th century,
0:30:24 > 0:30:27which was the century in which the art of the miniature triumphed.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31And what should one look for, when you're trying to assess a miniature
0:30:31 > 0:30:34and its value, its importance, or significance, where do you begin?
0:30:34 > 0:30:38I suppose the same principles apply to miniatures
0:30:38 > 0:30:41as do to other areas in the art market.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44Quality. A very good name.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48By a name, I mean not only the artist's name, but also the subject.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50The attraction of the image.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53I mean, it's a cruel thing, the art world,
0:30:53 > 0:30:58but a sweet-looking woman sells rather better than a plain old man.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02Well, I'm already beginning to think I might have made the wrong choice, in that case!
0:31:02 > 0:31:06Let's go for it. I put this as Basic, this as Better -
0:31:06 > 0:31:08despite what I believed must be diamonds.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10I thought you might be bowling me a googly there.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12So I thought, no, I'll put that as Better.
0:31:12 > 0:31:17And this is as Best, hoping perhaps that this is a rare image.
0:31:17 > 0:31:18Well, I have to say, rather boringly,
0:31:18 > 0:31:23I was hoping you were going to be seduced by that man's green jacket.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25- That is the most basic.- Oh, good!
0:31:25 > 0:31:28I thought, just it was the plainest, that was the only reason.
0:31:28 > 0:31:33- So why is this only worth £150? - This is by an amateur artist.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37We know that, apart from anything else, because it's on vellum.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39And by this time, 1760s, 1770s,
0:31:39 > 0:31:41miniature painting was done on ivory.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44If you were a serious artist, you would do it on that backing,
0:31:44 > 0:31:45not on vellum.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48- So this is vellum.- This is vellum. - In a plain little frame.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51Yes, by an amateur artist, unknown.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55So the next one? The one worth £7,500.
0:31:55 > 0:31:59You know, this is really infuriating. You've got that right, as well.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02Ho-ho-ho!
0:32:02 > 0:32:03Good.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07I mean, this looks spectacular and is so beautiful
0:32:07 > 0:32:13- of this... Is it a young lady, a young girl?- It's a boy.- Is it?!
0:32:13 > 0:32:17Look, not only is it a boy, it's a very aristocratic boy.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19It's the Second Earl Spencer,
0:32:19 > 0:32:23who is brother to the famous Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27And this is an image done by Richard Cosway,
0:32:27 > 0:32:31who was the leading miniaturist in the late-18th century.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35He was the sort of... He was the Gainsborough of miniatures.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39And probably worn by his mother when he went away to school.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43Again, it comes back to this idea of these soft, intimate images
0:32:43 > 0:32:47that are only designed to be seen by one person.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49When we look at paintings on walls it's a sort of public thing,
0:32:49 > 0:32:51we all sort of stand back,
0:32:51 > 0:32:54but these things were designed to commune with, really.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58So here we have the humdinger, at £65,000.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01Now, is it the artist or is it the sitter that makes that so valuable?
0:33:01 > 0:33:05Both. This is by an artist called Grigorii Musikiiskii,
0:33:05 > 0:33:08who was the court enamellist to Peter the Great.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12This was a phenomenally important time in the history of Russia
0:33:12 > 0:33:14and Russian culture.
0:33:14 > 0:33:19And this is Peter the Great himself, by the artist.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21Now, the artist was known for his enamels
0:33:21 > 0:33:23and this is the only surviving,
0:33:23 > 0:33:28remaining work on vellum by Musikiiskii.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30It's signed, it's dated, it's inscribed.
0:33:30 > 0:33:36This is really a sort of confluence of major commercial factors.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40A very rare artist, an incredibly important sitter, and Russian.
0:33:40 > 0:33:46And Russian objects, Russian antiques are greatly sought by Russians.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49And the Russian art market, of course, is burgeoning
0:33:49 > 0:33:51and people are loving to buy Russian artefacts,
0:33:51 > 0:33:53aren't they, at the moment?
0:33:53 > 0:33:56Well, there we... I could see past the bling, Philip, that's the thing.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58Actually, it was all luck, to be honest.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02If you have miniatures at home, you have got some idea what to look for.
0:34:02 > 0:34:07And there are more tips, if you want to look on our website...
0:34:07 > 0:34:11Now, I have to say, you bear
0:34:11 > 0:34:14a striking resemblance to the lady in this portrait.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17- Now, why is that? - Well, I would hope so.
0:34:17 > 0:34:22This is my grandmother and this is my mother when she was a girl.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25And where did you get the painting from?
0:34:25 > 0:34:29Apparently, when my grandad was in the Second World War,
0:34:29 > 0:34:33he was at the Battle of Monte Cassino
0:34:33 > 0:34:37and whilst he was out there he had no children,
0:34:37 > 0:34:41but my grandmother went on to have a child, which he wasn't aware of.
0:34:41 > 0:34:46She wrote to him and said, "I've had a baby, her name's Susan."
0:34:46 > 0:34:51And when she was about 15 months, in this photo, they sent...
0:34:51 > 0:34:55My nan sent this picture, which my grandad carried in his wallet.
0:34:55 > 0:35:02And whilst he was there, after the battle, he met some partisans
0:35:02 > 0:35:05that were seven brothers, I was told, that were artists
0:35:05 > 0:35:08and one of them painted this picture.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11They painted it on the back of an orange box.
0:35:11 > 0:35:16So this is actually painted? That's actually on an orange box?
0:35:16 > 0:35:18It is, yeah.
0:35:18 > 0:35:23It must have been an incredibly emotional experience for him
0:35:23 > 0:35:25to suddenly find out that he had a child.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27Yeah, yeah.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31And to receive this photograph must have been a wonderful thing for him.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34I think that happened a lot in them times,
0:35:34 > 0:35:37people went to war and children were born.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Unfortunately, he didn't see my mum,
0:35:39 > 0:35:42when he came back with the photo, until she was three-years-old.
0:35:42 > 0:35:43So she was 14-15 months old there
0:35:43 > 0:35:48and she was three when he finally came home and saw her.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51- But you've got a photograph of him, as well, haven't you?- Yes, I have.
0:35:51 > 0:35:56- Which one is he?- This is my grandad here.- And what rank was he?
0:35:56 > 0:35:58Well, from what I'm given to understand,
0:35:58 > 0:36:01he was with the 8th Division
0:36:01 > 0:36:04and was part of the military police.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08So a lot of his work was after the battles, the clean-up process,
0:36:08 > 0:36:11which accounts for why he was still there after the battle.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14- Now, he would have been with the Eighth Army.- Yes.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17Now, you say he was fighting at the Battle of Monte Cassino.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21This was in 1944, in Italy,
0:36:21 > 0:36:24and it was an infamous battle for both sides,
0:36:24 > 0:36:26but, actually, particularly the Allies.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30- He's got a wonderful group of medals here.- Yes, he has. He has got some...
0:36:30 > 0:36:34Yeah, he has got some nice medals and oak leaves, yeah, he has.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37So he obviously did something fairly brave to be Mentioned In Despatches,
0:36:37 > 0:36:39which is what these oak leaves represent.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42Now, look, what about value?
0:36:42 > 0:36:44It's more of a sentimental value, I think, to you?
0:36:44 > 0:36:46- Oh, yeah. - You could never replace it.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52Portraits like this are very difficult to sell on the open market.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55Commercially, it would be worth relatively little.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58- Probably, would you believe, less than £100?- Wow.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00- That's not the point, though.- No, no.
0:37:00 > 0:37:05It has huge value to you and the family, because it means something.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09You've told us the story, the emotional attachment it has for you.
0:37:09 > 0:37:11As far as the medals are concerned,
0:37:11 > 0:37:14we can attribute the medals to this man.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18That's the great thing about the family medal, family knowledge.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20So the medals themselves are probably worth...
0:37:20 > 0:37:23You've got more photographs, by the way?
0:37:23 > 0:37:26- Yes, we have, we've got lots of photographs. He was...- Documents?
0:37:26 > 0:37:30- Yes, all documents. Everything. - Ah! That all adds to the value.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33So the medals, the photographs, the documents,
0:37:33 > 0:37:38they're going to be worth something in the region of £300-500.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41So it's a lovely little family group of objects
0:37:41 > 0:37:45and I find it quite an emotional experience talking about this today.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48It's a lovely story. It's a lovely story.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52You may remember that, a few programmes ago,
0:37:52 > 0:37:55we were asking our experts what they would most like to see on a Roadshow
0:37:55 > 0:37:57and our ceramics specialist, Steven Moore,
0:37:57 > 0:38:00said he would most like to see furniture
0:38:00 > 0:38:02designed by the artist Francis Bacon.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04Very, very rare.
0:38:04 > 0:38:09Now, Susie, you have brought along some furniture by Francis Bacon.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12- I have.- You just had this hanging around the house?
0:38:12 > 0:38:15Well, my grandparents bought it from Francis Bacon in 1930.
0:38:15 > 0:38:20- And do you use it?- Yes, it's used on a daily basis, it's my desk stool.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22Now, I didn't know, until Steven mentioned it,
0:38:22 > 0:38:24that Francis Bacon had made furniture,
0:38:24 > 0:38:27because, of course, that's not what he's known for.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29He is going to be thrilled to see this.
0:38:29 > 0:38:30Can we have a little sneak preview?
0:38:30 > 0:38:35Yes, do. It's going to be a bit disappointing to you, I think, but he'll be excited.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39- It is slightly underwhelming.- Yes.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43Well, it's 1930s Modernism, you know, wonderful functionalism.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47- Obviously it's a stool. Can I sit on it?- Yes, you can. Yes, please do.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51Can I sit on the Francis Bacon stool?
0:38:51 > 0:38:55- It sort of...clenches the buttocks rather, doesn't it?- It does.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57- Have you found that when sitting on it?- I have.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59More and more every day now!
0:39:02 > 0:39:06- I think we should take it to show to Steven.- I think so.- Come on, then.
0:39:08 > 0:39:09Now, I can see you've got a circus,
0:39:09 > 0:39:11but where's the ring?
0:39:11 > 0:39:14I'm afraid the ring's at home because I thought it would rain
0:39:14 > 0:39:17and it would end up a big pile of mush, so I didn't bring it.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20- Oh, what a pity, but you have got it? - I have got a ring, yeah.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23- And it hasn't rained.- No. - Aren't we lucky?
0:39:23 > 0:39:27I absolutely love these circus animals and the clowns.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29And they're all wearing different outfits.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31I just love them, they're wonderful.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33And have your family played with them?
0:39:33 > 0:39:36Yes, I used to play with them when I was a child, absolutely.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39- Did you?- Yes, I loved them, yes. - Hours on end?- Yes, absolutely.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43- Fixing them all up. - I'm not surprised, because they're...
0:39:43 > 0:39:45- They actually are animated, aren't they?- They are.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49And although they've just got legs that work, this hippopotamus,
0:39:49 > 0:39:51he's absolutely wonderful.
0:39:51 > 0:39:56And even his head moves and his neck. So, I mean, that is fantastic.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00- And do you know who it's by? - I don't know.- You don't?
0:40:00 > 0:40:03- I know it's called Humpty Dumpty Circus, but that's about it.- Is it?
0:40:03 > 0:40:05- Oh, right, well, in your family, it is?- No, on the ring.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08- It says it on the ring.- Yep, it does.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11Good, because it's by Albert Schoenhut.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14- Oh, right. - Which, erm, is an American,
0:40:14 > 0:40:18but he was a German refugee, so he was in Philadelphia.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21And he started his company in 1872
0:40:21 > 0:40:24and he started making dolls and animals
0:40:24 > 0:40:29and these are probably early 20th century,
0:40:29 > 0:40:34all made of wood, except for this little lady here, with a bisque head.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37- Do you know where you got them? - They belonged to my godmother.
0:40:37 > 0:40:42- She was born in 1908. - Yes, that figures.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46So we're talking about 1910, 1915, something like that.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50So Schoenhut, to the Americans, is better than it is here,
0:40:50 > 0:40:53except there are a lot of collectors.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55I'm just going to pick one or two things
0:40:55 > 0:40:57that are more valuable than the others.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00The fact that the animals have got glass eyes is important -
0:41:00 > 0:41:02and they have.
0:41:02 > 0:41:06And the animals that you should look out for, if you can, is a gorilla,
0:41:06 > 0:41:09- which I don't think you've got. - No, I'm afraid not.
0:41:09 > 0:41:14But you have got a hippopotamus and a giraffe, and that's very nice.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18And my favourite is the crocodile, it's wonderful.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20In good condition, as well.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22Although they've been played with.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25And the rarest thing for the Schoenhut circus
0:41:25 > 0:41:31is the bisque-headed circus performer.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34And you've got it. So let's put it this way.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37With the whole ring and all these,
0:41:37 > 0:41:40we are talking about between £3,000-4,000.
0:41:42 > 0:41:47Wow. I didn't realise it was that much.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50- I'll carry them home very carefully. - Exactly, exactly.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53Steven, do you mind if I...?
0:41:53 > 0:41:57- I'm so sorry just to interrupt for a minute.- We will get back to you.
0:41:57 > 0:42:03- Now.- OK.- We have here an object brought in by Susie.- Hello, Susie.
0:42:03 > 0:42:04Hello.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06Right... Oh, my God.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10- Do you know what this is?- Yes, I do.
0:42:10 > 0:42:11Well, I know what I hope it is.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13And what do you hope it is?
0:42:13 > 0:42:16Well, it looks like the thing we asked for two years ago.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18It's a Francis Bacon stool...
0:42:18 > 0:42:21- There you are.- ..which I never...
0:42:21 > 0:42:23I'm glad I'm sitting down.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26- You can sit on that, if you like! - No, I respect it too much.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28You did this on purpose, didn't you?
0:42:28 > 0:42:31Well, what do you think? Susie, tell Steven about it.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35Well, my grandparents bought it from Francis Bacon in 1930.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39He had a studio sale, I think it was advertised in The Studio magazine.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41- Indeed.- In August 1930.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45They loved modern furniture and they went along and bought it
0:42:45 > 0:42:48and it was my grandmother's dressing table stool.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50So your grandmother...
0:42:50 > 0:42:54Hang on, your grandmother just sat on a Francis Bacon stool, which...
0:42:54 > 0:42:56Yes, and I use it as my desk stool now.
0:42:56 > 0:43:00Well, it's certainly stood the test of time.
0:43:00 > 0:43:05It has, it comes into school once a year and girls have a look at it.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08It's something I never, ever thought I'd see.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10But to... I'm sorry, I'm sort of...
0:43:10 > 0:43:14Steven, I'm glad you're so excited, because when I saw it, I...
0:43:14 > 0:43:17In the nicest way, Susie, I was slightly underwhelmed by it,
0:43:17 > 0:43:19because it's so plain.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23- Most people are.- But you think this is an object of great beauty?
0:43:23 > 0:43:25It's not necessarily an object of great beauty,
0:43:25 > 0:43:29but it's an object of great art historical importance.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32- Could you value this? - Yes. £10,000-15,000.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34CROWD GASPS
0:43:34 > 0:43:37- You might not want to take it into school so often now.- No, perhaps not.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40- Susie, I think you should be sitting down for this.- Yes, I will sit down.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42Have a seat.
0:43:44 > 0:43:46On the Antiques Roadshow, we see a lot of prints,
0:43:46 > 0:43:49but they rarely see the light of day
0:43:49 > 0:43:52because there were so many produced
0:43:52 > 0:43:54over the last 500 years
0:43:54 > 0:43:58and not often do they - unless they're more of a 20th century type -
0:43:58 > 0:44:01really catch the eye of the art market.
0:44:01 > 0:44:07And you've got a print here, signed with some very celebrated initials.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11- Yes, of Durer. Yes. - Albrecht Durer.- Yes.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14So let's start with how you actually ended up with this.
0:44:14 > 0:44:17I inherited it from my father.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21He had a great eye for art works, all kinds of art works,
0:44:21 > 0:44:24and he bought it in 1971.
0:44:24 > 0:44:28We see so many 19th century copies of Albrecht Durer,
0:44:28 > 0:44:31he was one of the most important figures
0:44:31 > 0:44:33in the history of art, in many ways.
0:44:33 > 0:44:37But also, in the 19th century, the Victorian period,
0:44:37 > 0:44:39he was particularly copied.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42We see facsimiles all the time with the famous AD
0:44:42 > 0:44:46banged there at the bottom of the image.
0:44:46 > 0:44:47I'm going to return in a moment
0:44:47 > 0:44:52as to whether or not this is a 19th century copy, or fake.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55But just for a moment, let's talk about Albrecht Durer,
0:44:55 > 0:44:57because he's one of those figures who's almost up there
0:44:57 > 0:45:00- with someone like Leonardo.- Yes.
0:45:00 > 0:45:05And his particular contribution to the history of Western culture was
0:45:05 > 0:45:08he knitted the Renaissance that was going on in Italy,
0:45:08 > 0:45:12with all of those great artists there, with the North, with Germany.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14He was born in Nuremburg
0:45:14 > 0:45:17and active in the late 15th and early 16th century.
0:45:17 > 0:45:23And so, he introduced ideas of beauty and realism and perspective
0:45:23 > 0:45:26and amazed his German contemporaries.
0:45:26 > 0:45:30And this print here is a beautiful example of just that,
0:45:30 > 0:45:34because you've got, in that rather divine face of the virgin,
0:45:34 > 0:45:37the look almost of a Botticelli.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39And then, if you move your eye to the right,
0:45:39 > 0:45:43you've got a sort of northern cuckoo clock-like building.
0:45:43 > 0:45:51And you can't get a better example of how north and south are amalgamating.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54And the image, which is a very devout, religious one,
0:45:54 > 0:46:00with the Christ child on the virgin's lap, is full of detail.
0:46:00 > 0:46:05And Durer loved all of that. His pictures were very instructive.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07What is particularly noteworthy
0:46:07 > 0:46:10is the monkey that's tethered at her feet.
0:46:10 > 0:46:15The monkey represents base human qualities
0:46:15 > 0:46:19in the iconography of this period -
0:46:19 > 0:46:22everything that a human shouldn't be.
0:46:22 > 0:46:26You know, naughty, malevolent, full of vice.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28But the point is that it's tethered.
0:46:28 > 0:46:33And so, it's a lovely, graphic example of female virtue,
0:46:33 > 0:46:36in this case, divine female virtue,
0:46:36 > 0:46:40being able to overcome monkeyish aspects and attributes.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42And that's the sort of games he played.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45So back to the artist, Albrecht Durer
0:46:45 > 0:46:51and whether or not this is a 19th century example or an original.
0:46:51 > 0:46:56Well, it's very difficult sometimes to determine with prints.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58But this, to me,
0:46:58 > 0:47:03has very specific attributes that tie it to its period.
0:47:03 > 0:47:05And I have to say, from what I can see,
0:47:05 > 0:47:11this is an original Albrecht Durer print.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14- Now, it is a print.- Yes. - It's not an oil painting.- No.
0:47:14 > 0:47:17But it is nonetheless a very significant thing
0:47:17 > 0:47:20because of his towering role
0:47:20 > 0:47:24in the tying together of different culture currents
0:47:24 > 0:47:27in the early Renaissance.
0:47:28 > 0:47:32- So it comes to value.- Yes.
0:47:32 > 0:47:37Well, I have to say, subject to just a few checks,
0:47:37 > 0:47:41given that prints are a complex area, and Durer in particular,
0:47:41 > 0:47:44I think this could be worth up to about £20,000.
0:47:45 > 0:47:46That's really good news.
0:47:46 > 0:47:50That's really good news, thank you very much. Very exciting!
0:47:50 > 0:47:53CROWD APPLAUD
0:47:58 > 0:48:02Of all the things we've seen here today at Stowe, I think...
0:48:02 > 0:48:07THIS has to be the most extraordinary.
0:48:07 > 0:48:12It is the egg of the now-extinct elephant bird, native of Madagascar.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15Became extinct in about the 17th century,
0:48:15 > 0:48:19was, I think, the heaviest known bird, which it must have been!
0:48:19 > 0:48:21I mean, how big must it have been to lay this?
0:48:21 > 0:48:25Just makes my eyes water, just thinking about it.
0:48:25 > 0:48:28Anyway, it's now in the science lab here at Stowe School
0:48:28 > 0:48:32and has delighted boys and girls in the science lab
0:48:32 > 0:48:34ever since it was brought along.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37From the egg, and the Antiques Roadshow team,
0:48:37 > 0:48:39until next time, bye-bye.