0:00:02 > 0:00:05Over the years on Flog It!, you've brought us thousands of fascinating
0:00:05 > 0:00:08and valuable antiques from all across the world.
0:00:08 > 0:00:13From Oriental ceramics to German woodcraft and Aboriginal art.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16There isn't much that hasn't crossed our valuation tables
0:00:16 > 0:00:19and I think it's fair to say, we've got the inside track
0:00:19 > 0:00:21on a whole world of fine art and antiques
0:00:21 > 0:00:23and we'd love to share it with you.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56On today's show we'll be exploring the mysteries of the Orient,
0:00:56 > 0:01:01and all the exotic and fascinating objects it has to offer,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04as we take a whistle-stop tour to the Far East.
0:01:07 > 0:01:08Coming up...
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Our experts reveal what to look for in treasures from the East...
0:01:11 > 0:01:16I don't think I've seen a fan in such wonderful condition.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18It could only be the best quality.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22..and tell you when it's fine to let your heart rule your head.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27That's what antiques can do to us. They fire our imagination.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Over many centuries, Europeans developed
0:01:35 > 0:01:38a voracious appetite for Chinese antiques,
0:01:38 > 0:01:41and Chinese collectors have recently been busy
0:01:41 > 0:01:44buying back items that found their way to these shores.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48It's a complicated subject, and it's often difficult to predict
0:01:48 > 0:01:50the market for such objects.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Even though our experts find them hard to value,
0:01:54 > 0:01:56it doesn't stop them from giving it a go.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59So here are their tips on how you can understand
0:01:59 > 0:02:00the mysteries of the East.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Terry and Jackie, you have brought along
0:02:05 > 0:02:08a fan and I don't think I've seen
0:02:08 > 0:02:10a fan in such wonderful condition.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13'Quality speaks for itself. You really only'
0:02:13 > 0:02:17have to look at an Oriental item of quality
0:02:17 > 0:02:20and you can almost see it from three, four yards away.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Just the detail on the figures,
0:02:22 > 0:02:24the flowers, all the decoration
0:02:24 > 0:02:27and the little latticework
0:02:27 > 0:02:29is just so intricate.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31It could only be the best quality.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35This is Cantonese, 1890, 1900,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38and this is the sort of thing that frankly, in terms of value,
0:02:38 > 0:02:42has gone through the roof in the last five years or so.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46And what I particularly like about it is the way that you look
0:02:46 > 0:02:51from strand to strand, it tells a story all the way through.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54If you follow one figure, for example,
0:02:54 > 0:02:55you take a figure here,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57half of his body's on that panel,
0:02:57 > 0:02:59half of his body's on that panel,
0:02:59 > 0:03:00and same with the trees.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Tells a story all the way through.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05It is quite remarkable quality.
0:03:05 > 0:03:06I'm sure it's ivory.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09I needed to just check that it wasn't plastic.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12That may seem silly, but, you know,
0:03:12 > 0:03:16plastic dates from a lot earlier than a lot of people think.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18But this is undoubtedly ivory.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20'The simple way to check if it's not plastic,'
0:03:20 > 0:03:23heat up a pin and stick it in.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26If it's plastic, it'll melt a hole in it, but it won't matter,
0:03:26 > 0:03:28because if it's plastic, it wouldn't be valuable.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30If it's ivory, it won't go in.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34Ivory's become more and more emotive
0:03:34 > 0:03:38with the butchering of elephants and...
0:03:40 > 0:03:47..we feel pretty happy, legally, to sell items pre-1947.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Anything that has been, for want of a better word,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54butchered in our lifetime, certainly within my memory,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57'is taboo.'
0:03:57 > 0:04:00What do you think it's worth? A hundred? More.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02- 200.- I think more.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04- Really?- I really do.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08I think a lot of the Chinese think, "We should be having these things back, now,"
0:04:08 > 0:04:13and they are prepared to pay huge money to have the right things back.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17- I think this could be worth £300 or £400.- Crikey.- Crumbs!
0:04:19 > 0:04:22'With the expectation mounting in the room and overseas,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25'was anyone prepared to have a flutter on the fan?'
0:04:25 > 0:04:30We've got an awful lot of Chinese and Eastern artefacts in the sale.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35It's bringing in all the overseas buyers and hopefully they'll pick up on this.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37The Cantonese ivory fan.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39At 190, 200, 220.
0:04:39 > 0:04:40220, 240.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42260. 280. 300. 320.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45- There you are. We're already...- I know.
0:04:45 > 0:04:46380, 400.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48400, 420, 440,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50460, 480. 500.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52550.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54- 600.- 600. At 600, now.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56650, 700, 750.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59- I'm lost for words.- So am I.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01- 850, 900.- I must brush up on
0:05:01 > 0:05:02my Cantonese valuations.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04At 950. 1,000.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06'It's very important that you'
0:05:06 > 0:05:07look at the sale and think,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10"That's right for my object." But a good auctioneer will do that for you.
0:05:10 > 0:05:11Phone at 1,800.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14£1,800. Anybody else?
0:05:14 > 0:05:15- And 50.- 1,850.
0:05:17 > 0:05:181,900?
0:05:19 > 0:05:21At 1,850. I sell with the internet.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24At £1,850.
0:05:24 > 0:05:25- Jackie.- I know. I daren't look.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27THEY LAUGH
0:05:27 > 0:05:28Down here at 1,850.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32- Oh, my goodness me. - Wow, wow.- It's wonderful.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Tears in the eyes.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Never mind, Charlie, you can be wrong as often as you like!
0:05:37 > 0:05:40I'm going to become a decorator.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42What an amazing price.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46Do make sure you get your antique piece into a specialist auction,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48where the saleroom can help you
0:05:48 > 0:05:50build up a worldwide fan base
0:05:50 > 0:05:53and hopefully get you the best bid.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56But, it's also about timing.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02If there was ever a time to sell something Chinese, it's now.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06A prime example of the buoyancy was the plaque at Preston.
0:06:06 > 0:06:13This is about 1880, 1890 and we see figures and attendants
0:06:13 > 0:06:17in formal gardens with these building structures
0:06:17 > 0:06:19and very stylised trees.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21This is an object just to be looked at
0:06:21 > 0:06:23and enjoyed for its artistic merit,
0:06:23 > 0:06:25rather than anything to be used.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27Would you be happy at £100 to £150.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30- Yeah.- Would you?- Yeah.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32I think you'd be very silly to be happy with that.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34I think it's worth a bit more.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37- I reckon 300 to 500 is more to the mark.- Brilliant, yeah.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39I think you'll do really well.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Lot 430,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Chinese carved ivory plaque.
0:06:43 > 0:06:44'The Chinese market'
0:06:44 > 0:06:47is voracious. There is so much money out there.
0:06:47 > 0:06:53£700. Straight in on one of the phones at £700.
0:06:53 > 0:06:54800 online.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56840, 860. I'll come back.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58900, 920,
0:06:58 > 0:07:00940, £1,000.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02The bid's on the phone at 1,000.
0:07:02 > 0:07:0410 years ago, would've been worth £100.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08'Four years ago, maybe 200 or 300.'
0:07:08 > 0:07:09- £2,000.- Oh, my God!
0:07:09 > 0:07:11'Just kept flying.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13'The bids absolutely shooting in
0:07:13 > 0:07:16'from the online bidding platform that we have.'
0:07:16 > 0:07:19At some points, it was coming in quicker than I could actually take
0:07:19 > 0:07:20the bids and I was having to jump bids
0:07:20 > 0:07:22'to keep up with it.'
0:07:22 > 0:07:24We're not there yet. 24, 25.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26It's fantastic!
0:07:26 > 0:07:28At the time we sold it,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31I put three to five, expecting it to make a thousand.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33£3,000.
0:07:33 > 0:07:353-1. 3,100.
0:07:35 > 0:07:36We're not there yet.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39The Internet has enabled us
0:07:39 > 0:07:42here to market everything
0:07:42 > 0:07:45all over the world. So it's made a massive difference.
0:07:45 > 0:07:46I can't believe it.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Very excited people in the far corner here. Congratulations to you.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52It's £3,300 online.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Direct from Shanghai at £3,300.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57He said coming from Shanghai.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59You're out in the room, the phones are all dead.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02It's £3,300 online.
0:08:02 > 0:08:03Sold.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05£3,300.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08APPLAUSE It's so fantastic!
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Oh, my God!
0:08:11 > 0:08:17Really, that was just sold at the perfect time.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19If that was to come on the market now,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21it would make less than half that.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23It's changed that quickly.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26So, it's all about timings.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28And, if you're not greedy
0:08:28 > 0:08:31and you don't try to hold on too long
0:08:31 > 0:08:34and you time it well, fantastic.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36And that's exactly what happened on the day.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39'Things may have dampened down a bit since we sold that plaque,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42'but buying Chinese can still be a great investment.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46'The trade secret is not to rush out to sell,
0:08:46 > 0:08:48'but hang on until the market looks right.'
0:08:51 > 0:08:54'If you want to invest, there are some Chinese pieces where you
0:08:54 > 0:08:56'cannot go wrong, including a type of ceramic
0:08:56 > 0:08:58'called Famille Rose.'
0:08:59 > 0:09:05Gosh, we are going back now, many, many years, to Andover.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07You've brought a nice collection of Oriental ceramics
0:09:07 > 0:09:09in to show us today.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Can you give us the history of them?
0:09:11 > 0:09:15Well, they were my mum's and she died about 25 years ago.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19When she died, we were clearing out her loft and we found it in there.
0:09:19 > 0:09:20I love Famille Rose.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23It's so delicate. The colouring.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Lots of 20th century examples.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30This was really bang in the mid-to-late 19th century.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34We get the Famille Rose from the sort of pinky colours,
0:09:34 > 0:09:36pinky greens and blues in the pattern.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41There was so much! There was some lovely tureen covers and stands.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44'A pair of vases, shaped dessert dishes.'
0:09:44 > 0:09:48They're very typically decorated with these Oriental scenes.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Little people in different courtyards,
0:09:50 > 0:09:52buildings in the background.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55'Cantonese Famille Rose ware gets its name from the Port of Canton.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58'That's where it was exported to the rest'
0:09:58 > 0:10:00of the world, although it was probably made in one of
0:10:00 > 0:10:03the big ceramic-producing areas in China.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06- Have you ever thought about the value?- No.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08- This is why you brought them here today?- Yeah.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11I think it's such a shame. It is just a waste, isn't it?
0:10:11 > 0:10:15I was quite mean, you know, because I could get away with it then.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17I put such a ridiculous estimate on it.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20I suggest we put it in as a little group,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22and if we did put them in with a sale,
0:10:22 > 0:10:24I think we'd be looking at an estimate
0:10:24 > 0:10:27of maybe £200-300 for the group.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31- Oh, right.- Is that all right? - Yeah, that's...
0:10:31 > 0:10:33Oh, hindsight is a wonderful thing, Mark!
0:10:33 > 0:10:37So how did the buyers feel about the Famille Rose on the day?
0:10:39 > 0:10:41880, 900...
0:10:42 > 0:10:47..and 20. 950. 1,000.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51- And 50.- D'you need a seat? - 1,100. And 50.
0:10:51 > 0:10:541,200. And 50.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00£1,200 on the phone here against all in the room. 1,250 at the back.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04- 1,300.- 1,300!- And 50.
0:11:04 > 0:11:091,400. And 50. 1,500.
0:11:11 > 0:11:16And 50. 1,500 on the phone. All done at 1,500.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19Against all at £1,500, selling.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Yes! On the phone, £1,500.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25APPLAUSE
0:11:25 > 0:11:28- That's great.- I don't believe it! - That is just great.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30I just don't believe it.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34If you're thinking of collecting Chinese porcelain,
0:11:34 > 0:11:40what I would do is go and look in museums, go and study the porcelain.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Go to local auctions, see what people are buying.
0:11:43 > 0:11:48Go find out the good Oriental dealers, go and talk to them,
0:11:48 > 0:11:51you know, because they are looking for potential buyers,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54so they're willing to help steer you through that.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Good advice from Mark, but sometimes,
0:11:58 > 0:12:01it can simply be about an item just drawing you in,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03as Anita knows.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07I love dressing up, and this is the most wonderful kimono.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Do you dress up in this? Has this got any family...?
0:12:10 > 0:12:15- My husband has worn it at a fancy dress.- Has he?- He looked good.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18If we turn it round to the back first of all,
0:12:18 > 0:12:23we can see this wonderful imperial dragon here.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Look at those eyes, a wee bitty scary.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29And this symbol here denotes a pearl.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34I had the immediate impact of the colours
0:12:34 > 0:12:36and the quality of the embroidery.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38That dragon with the scary eyes!
0:12:38 > 0:12:44What did it mean? That wonderful pearl symbol! What did it mean?
0:12:44 > 0:12:48But it also made me think of, who did it belong to?
0:12:48 > 0:12:52What was their life like? What was their function in life?
0:12:52 > 0:12:54What was life in court like?
0:12:54 > 0:12:57I think that it could have been a military kimono
0:12:57 > 0:13:04and may have been worn by an officer at ceremonial occasions.
0:13:04 > 0:13:09So, that's what antiques can do to us, they fire our imagination.
0:13:09 > 0:13:15Difficult to put a price on it, but if we put it in at 150-200,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17we might have a chance at that.
0:13:17 > 0:13:22When I give an estimate, either in Flog It or in my own auction,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24it is an estimate.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29We don't know exactly how much it's going to get
0:13:29 > 0:13:31until the hammer falls.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34Any advance now at 520 for the kimono?
0:13:34 > 0:13:37- At 520, 550, 580, 600...- Yes!
0:13:37 > 0:13:41- 620, 650...- Someone really wants it.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45At £700. Any advance now on £700 for the kimono?
0:13:45 > 0:13:47To be sold for £700.
0:13:47 > 0:13:52Yes, the hammer's gone down. £700!
0:13:52 > 0:13:59What a turnaround! Worn for a fancy dress party and sold for £700.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01I always say if you love a collection, keep it.
0:14:02 > 0:14:07But if you've bought to sell, or if you've bought because it was
0:14:07 > 0:14:12something that caught your eye, then this is the time to sell.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Don't forget, when it comes to the mysterious Oriental market,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18if you go with your heart and enjoying own a piece,
0:14:18 > 0:14:22you might also get lucky enough to earn serious cash.
0:14:28 > 0:14:33What a wide range of exquisite objects.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36If you find a piece you like and you want to start a collection,
0:14:36 > 0:14:37where do you begin?
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Well, this tale of one man's obsession with
0:14:40 > 0:14:43the lure of the Orient may give you some food for thought.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47Collecting is a real bug and once you've got it,
0:14:47 > 0:14:50there is no stopping it. Believe me, it's so addictive.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52But of course, there is one major problem.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56Sooner or later, you're going to run out of space to store it all,
0:14:56 > 0:15:00and it's precisely at this point, back in 1955,
0:15:00 > 0:15:04that antiques dealer and collector Denys Eyre Bower decided to do
0:15:04 > 0:15:08something radical about housing his own personal collections.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13So he borrowed £6,000 from the bank and bought himself a castle.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16And this is it. Chiddingstone Castle.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21'He had antiques from his four areas of interest
0:15:21 > 0:15:22'on display to the public.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24'Buddhism...
0:15:27 > 0:15:30'..Egyptian art...
0:15:30 > 0:15:33'..Stuart and Jacobean artefacts...
0:15:36 > 0:15:40'..and the exquisite Japanese collection.'
0:15:40 > 0:15:43'His acumen for antique collecting being much better
0:15:43 > 0:15:45'than his grasp of property management,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48'and it's true to say his obsession with collecting
0:15:48 > 0:15:51'had a disastrous effect on every other area of his life.'
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Not long after taking over the castle,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00Denys met and fell in love with a beautiful young lady half his age.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02He was so in love with her,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05but one day, when she threatened to call off the romance,
0:16:05 > 0:16:08well, he was so besotted he ran to see her,
0:16:08 > 0:16:10picked up one of his antique guns, took it with him,
0:16:10 > 0:16:14dramatically threatening to kill himself if she called it off.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Well, don't ask me how, but somehow, accidentally,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19he managed to shoot her.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22'Denys was sentenced to life imprisonment,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24'and spent a number of years in Wormwood Scrubs,
0:16:24 > 0:16:29'before finally being freed in 1962, when he returned
0:16:29 > 0:16:33'to live at Chiddingstone Castle among his collections.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35'I have arranged to meet Julia Hutt,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38'curator of Japanese art at the Victoria and Albert Museum,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41'and also a trustee of Chiddingstone Castle,
0:16:41 > 0:16:43'to look at some of Denys' Japanese collection.'
0:16:47 > 0:16:50There's a wonderful collection of Japanese artefacts here.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52We're surrounded by them.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54This is what I would normally associate
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Japanese lacquer-ware with.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Things like the sake bowls there with the typical reds,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02- and of course, the little writing box there.- Yes.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Lacquer is basically the sap from a tree that grows in east
0:17:05 > 0:17:09and southeast Asia, and by making incisions in the bark,
0:17:09 > 0:17:10the sap oozes out...
0:17:10 > 0:17:15- They can draw it off.- Yes. It's collected and then it's processed.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19And the vessels themselves, now, let's look at this little box.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Now that's some discipline to achieve that.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Yes, really testing of the lacquerer's skills to be able
0:17:24 > 0:17:28to work with these minute pieces and place them individually.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31- This is some of the best work I've ever seen in my life.- Yes.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Do you respect Denys as a collector, a connoisseur?
0:17:44 > 0:17:47- Did he have a good eye?- Absolutely. - Yeah, I agree with you.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51I think he was an English eccentric
0:17:51 > 0:17:54who happened to be in the right place at the right time.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57He was buying on modest means
0:17:57 > 0:18:02and with a very good eye, he was able to buy some spectacular pieces.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Well, old Denys may have had a turbulent private life,
0:18:16 > 0:18:21but I tell you what, boy, was he a good collector and dealer!
0:18:21 > 0:18:24He had a fabulous eye for detail.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28He followed his own instincts, he bought items when they weren't
0:18:28 > 0:18:31fashionable so they were affordable, there's a lesson for us all there.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36He bought only quality and items that weren't overly restored.
0:18:36 > 0:18:37And his legacy is here today
0:18:37 > 0:18:40for us all to enjoy at Chiddingstone Castle.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56We've been influenced by Oriental design
0:18:56 > 0:18:59for centuries here in Britain,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01where it makes its way onto all manner of tableware
0:19:01 > 0:19:03and pottery pieces.
0:19:04 > 0:19:09Nowhere is more evident than our own home-grown blue and white China.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14One man who's been bitten by the blue and white collecting bug is our expert, Mark Stacey.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17He wanted to show us the old method of transfer printing
0:19:17 > 0:19:20on ceramics, which achieves that lovely effect.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23So, he's heading off to pottery to get hands on
0:19:23 > 0:19:24to show us how it's done.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29We always think hand-painted pottery is the most valuable
0:19:29 > 0:19:32kind of ceramics, but that's not always the case.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35At the Middleport Pottery in Stoke-on-Trent,
0:19:35 > 0:19:39they've been mass manufacturing pottery for 200 years.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41Mark met Jemma Baskeyfield,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44the company historian, to find out more about it.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48Where's this demand coming from? Who's buying it at the moment?
0:19:48 > 0:19:52Our biggest area of growth as far as customers go are in the Far East.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54So, in Japan and in South Korea,
0:19:54 > 0:19:59they really appreciate what is a very British pottery.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03Oh, that's rather odd, isn't it? Because back in the first phase
0:20:03 > 0:20:07of the popularity of blue and white, of course, we were actually copying the Orientals.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09We were producing Chinoiserie designs, weren't we?
0:20:09 > 0:20:11- It's almost come full circle.- Yes.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15Then over time that developed and by the time our company came along,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18in the Victorian period,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21you got these much more English patterns.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Very romantic, and this is now appreciated
0:20:24 > 0:20:29by those customers we were taking inspiration from in the first place.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32So, these buyers are looking for those traditional patterns,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35- the floral, decorative pieces? - Exactly.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39One of the things that annoyed me when I was collecting blue and white
0:20:39 > 0:20:41is people said, "Oh, yes, but it's not hand-painted."
0:20:41 > 0:20:44But it's a very skilled process, transfer printing, isn't it?
0:20:44 > 0:20:46It is, very much so.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49And the best way for you to understand
0:20:49 > 0:20:52is probably to go to our transferring shop
0:20:52 > 0:20:55and actually see the ladies and have a go yourself.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57- I was hoping you'd say that. - Well, come on then.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04'Before transfer printing, all ceramics were hand-painted,
0:21:04 > 0:21:08'which was time-consuming and could only be afforded by the rich.
0:21:08 > 0:21:09'In the mid-18th century,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12'potters developed a transference technique of printing,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15'which meant it could be more mass-produced
0:21:15 > 0:21:17'and reach a wider market.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22'I've always wanted to see how this is done and now's my chance.'
0:21:22 > 0:21:24How are you?
0:21:25 > 0:21:29So, here's Jackie, one of our top transferers.
0:21:29 > 0:21:30- Hello, Jackie.- Hello.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34She'll help you today to understand more about transferring.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37- Are you going to be gentle with me, Jackie?- Very gentle.- Are you sure?
0:21:37 > 0:21:39- Yes. - You're making it look very easy.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43You don't want me to cut this out, do you? You'll get it ready for me.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46- Yes, I've done most of that for you. - Thank you.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49So, how long does it take you to learn to do this properly?
0:21:49 > 0:21:54- It took me about six or seven years. - Wow.- I was a slow learner.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Oh, no! Do you think I can learn it in ten minutes?
0:21:57 > 0:21:59I do believe in miracles!
0:21:59 > 0:22:01SHE LAUGHS
0:22:01 > 0:22:03What's the first part of the process?
0:22:03 > 0:22:08The first part is where the print is printed onto the tissue,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11- via the rollers.- Oh, right.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13OK, I can take you up to our print area and show you how it's done.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Great, thanks.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18'These delicate designs will end up on ceramics,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21'but how do they get this fabulous print onto the paper?
0:22:23 > 0:22:26'A metal drum is etched with the pattern and inked up.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28'The design is printed onto paper,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31'which is then later transferred onto the ceramic.'
0:22:33 > 0:22:36And how long does it take to dry here? Just a few seconds?
0:22:36 > 0:22:38This one, it'll last about an hour, this one will.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42It needs to stay sticky for us to actually use it.
0:22:42 > 0:22:43Oh, so if it's dry...
0:22:43 > 0:22:47Yep, as soon as it dries, it's no use, we'd have to throw it away.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50So timing is really quite crucial in this room.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54- And this pattern, we've been decorating with since 1862.- Wow.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58- This has always been a popular design, hasn't it?- Yeah.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01- A lot of people have produced it. - Yes, over 60 factories.- Yeah.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03And we're the last one.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06'The last one standing.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09'It's ironic, what started as mass production
0:23:09 > 0:23:11'has become a rare skill.'
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Well, Jackie, I'm going to watch how you do this. You've cut out the...
0:23:16 > 0:23:18The prints.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22And what we're doing now, we're applying the border.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26You're pushing it down and, as you come round here,
0:23:26 > 0:23:28you're lifting it.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31- So you're sort of placing it, then pushing it down.- Yeah.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33- Do like doing it?- I love it.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Then you get a piece of flannel...
0:23:35 > 0:23:37and you rub it down.
0:23:39 > 0:23:40And you take your sides...
0:23:42 > 0:23:43..put it about the middle.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46So, there's some glue on the back of these already?
0:23:46 > 0:23:50No. The prints are sticky. If you feel...
0:23:51 > 0:23:54..the prints are sticky already.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56It's still wet, see, the printing.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00- You have to put them on while they're still wet.- OK.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04But you can't possibly get them in the same place every single time, can you?
0:24:04 > 0:24:07More or less. Every one's different.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11There is a slight difference, which what makes it so nice.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14- That's the back stamp you're putting on there.- Burleigh Ware.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17So, would you like a go?
0:24:17 > 0:24:20- I'd love a go.- Swap seats. - Shall I swap seats?
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Right, plonk yourself down.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27- So, first of all, I've got to get my jug, haven't I?- Yes.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29So, I just pick this up.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33- Yeah. You can feel it's sticky. - Oh, I can. Yes.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35So, the middle bit goes under there.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37You push it into it.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Very good.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41- Have I got it twisted? - No, pull it further up.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43Oh, I've ripped it.
0:24:43 > 0:24:44HE LAUGHS
0:24:44 > 0:24:46WOMAN LAUGHS
0:24:46 > 0:24:51- I think this is going to be really rare Asiatic Pheasant.- It is, yeah.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Keep your thumb on when you lift it up again.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56LAUGHTER
0:24:56 > 0:24:58And the same again, the other side.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00I'm getting used to this, now.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06If I'm firing this with thousands of other jugs,
0:25:06 > 0:25:07how will I know it's mine?
0:25:07 > 0:25:09I think you'll know that one's yours.
0:25:09 > 0:25:10LAUGHTER
0:25:10 > 0:25:14- Oooh!- Pick up a stamp and just so we know it's yours,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17we're going to put a special rose on the bottom.
0:25:17 > 0:25:18- Aww.- Just for you.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23- Now, you can show all the girls your work.- Look, girls.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25WOMEN CLAP AND CHEER
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Special. >
0:25:27 > 0:25:29- I'm quite pleased with it. - I am, yeah.- Thank you, Jackie.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32- It's all right. - That's really made my day.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37- That's it, Jackie. I've finished, now.- That stage is finished.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39- You've got to rub it down. - That stage?
0:25:39 > 0:25:41You've got another stage to do, now.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43- You didn't tell me this, Jackie. - No, I know.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45So, what do I have to do now?
0:25:45 > 0:25:49- You have to take your coat off and put on a pinny.- A pinny?
0:25:49 > 0:25:51And some rubber gloves.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57- Do you like it?- Yeah, I do. - They're lovely, aren't they?
0:25:57 > 0:26:01- What is this stuff? Glue? - It's liquid soap.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04- Oh, it's horrible.- It's nice.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Rub it. That's it.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10'The soap fixes the transfer and then it's off to be cleaned...'
0:26:10 > 0:26:11- Not bad.- It's good.
0:26:14 > 0:26:15'..by me.'
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Now, what's been left on there is actually the pattern?
0:26:18 > 0:26:20That's just the pattern, yeah.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Just swill it in the water, take the rest of it off. That's it.
0:26:23 > 0:26:24Now, what we do,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26is we'll put it on this truck, here.
0:26:28 > 0:26:29That's it.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31That's the most we can do in here.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34We'll hand it over to the rest of the factory, it'll have a firing,
0:26:34 > 0:26:38then dipping in glaze, then a final firing.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41And then, fingers crossed, we'll have a finished,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44half decent piece of pottery at the end. And we'll send it on to you.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46I hope so. Cos you never know,
0:26:46 > 0:26:48that could be a valuable antique in the future.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50We'll be lucky.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53'So, you see, it isn't a simple process.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57'There's a lot of hard work and skill that goes into this beautiful craft.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00'But, is it worth collecting?'
0:27:00 > 0:27:02The great thing with transfer printed ware
0:27:02 > 0:27:07is that there's a huge variety in patterns that you can choose from.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Botanical, animal-related subject,
0:27:10 > 0:27:11country houses.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Of course, the Oriental patterns.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17So, wherever you are in the collecting sphere,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20there's something for you.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22This is a really good tip for you.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25If you really fancy collecting transfer printed ware,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28I can't think of a better time than now
0:27:28 > 0:27:31to start collecting transfer printed wares.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33The market has really dropped.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36So, if you want to start collecting, go car-booting,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39go to your local charity shops, if you want, because there's
0:27:39 > 0:27:43really some good things to be found, for very little money.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45- Thank you, ladies!- WOMEN: Goodbye!
0:27:45 > 0:27:49See you again! Thank you for your help! Bye-bye! Bye!
0:27:49 > 0:27:50WOMEN: Bye!
0:27:50 > 0:27:51Goodbye, Mary, Ellen!
0:27:51 > 0:27:54- Bye!- Bye.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03I hope we've demystified the Orient for you today
0:28:03 > 0:28:07and given you some pointers about what to look out for
0:28:07 > 0:28:10if you want to buy or sell Chinese collectables.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14There really are treasures out there just waiting to be discovered.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18Join me again next time for more on Flog It! Trade Secrets,
0:28:18 > 0:28:20but until then, it's goodbye.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd