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It's been well over ten years now since "Flog It!" first set up shop, | 0:00:03 | 0:00:07 | |
and during that time you've come to trust us to value and sell | 0:00:07 | 0:00:11 | |
your unwanted antiques and collectables. | 0:00:11 | 0:00:13 | |
-GAVEL BANGS -That is a fantastic result! | 0:00:13 | 0:00:16 | |
Wow. | 0:00:16 | 0:00:18 | |
And during that time, the variety of things you've brought in | 0:00:18 | 0:00:21 | |
to show us has been absolutely astonishing. | 0:00:21 | 0:00:23 | |
It's not easy to put a price on them all, but some things | 0:00:23 | 0:00:26 | |
we know are guaranteed to sell and this is where you can find out more. | 0:00:26 | 0:00:30 | |
Welcome to Trade Secrets. | 0:00:30 | 0:00:32 | |
Europe has always been fascinated by the East. | 0:00:59 | 0:01:01 | |
We've been trading with North Africa, Turkey | 0:01:01 | 0:01:03 | |
and the Middle East for centuries | 0:01:03 | 0:01:05 | |
But the furthest reaches of the Orient have been closed | 0:01:05 | 0:01:07 | |
to all but a few intrepid travellers until relatively recently. | 0:01:07 | 0:01:12 | |
But treasures from those lands are perennially popular, | 0:01:12 | 0:01:16 | |
so today, we'll be finding out why Oriental artefacts exert | 0:01:16 | 0:01:20 | |
a special kind of magic. | 0:01:20 | 0:01:21 | |
-High order. -GAVEL BANGS | 0:01:23 | 0:01:24 | |
The hammer's gone down. £600. | 0:01:24 | 0:01:27 | |
On our exploration of the exotic, we'll be stopping off | 0:01:27 | 0:01:31 | |
in the Middle East and in India, | 0:01:31 | 0:01:33 | |
before reaching our final destination, Japan. | 0:01:33 | 0:01:37 | |
En route, Thomas finds the jewel in the "Flog It!" crown. | 0:01:37 | 0:01:41 | |
The work in this is amazing. | 0:01:41 | 0:01:43 | |
One of the best items I've seen on "Flog It!" for many, many years. | 0:01:43 | 0:01:47 | |
We pinpoint the direction of future trends... | 0:01:47 | 0:01:51 | |
There's a big market for Arab items and most Arab clients and buyers | 0:01:51 | 0:01:55 | |
have got fairly deep pockets. | 0:01:55 | 0:01:58 | |
..and Michael's tour around the best of Japanese art and design | 0:01:58 | 0:02:02 | |
throws up some surprises. | 0:02:02 | 0:02:05 | |
I'm going to go off now and have a look for some wonky pots. | 0:02:05 | 0:02:07 | |
Who knows? One of them might be by a 16th-century master. | 0:02:07 | 0:02:10 | |
As an imperial power, Britain once ruled the waves with military might, | 0:02:15 | 0:02:19 | |
but it was trade that was the driving force behind our expansion | 0:02:19 | 0:02:23 | |
and import and export were the mainstays of our economy, | 0:02:23 | 0:02:26 | |
and many of the items that turn up at our valuation days | 0:02:26 | 0:02:29 | |
are part of that legacy. | 0:02:29 | 0:02:31 | |
We see a huge amount of Oriental items in Great Britain, | 0:02:36 | 0:02:42 | |
probably much more than Middle Eastern items, | 0:02:42 | 0:02:47 | |
but that's quite simply because China was a HUGE place | 0:02:47 | 0:02:51 | |
and made a huge variety of items. | 0:02:51 | 0:02:56 | |
There's a perception at the moment that everything is Chinese, Chinese, Chinese, Chinese | 0:02:56 | 0:03:00 | |
and certainly the Chinese market is really, really strong, | 0:03:00 | 0:03:03 | |
but the Islamic world | 0:03:03 | 0:03:05 | |
equally, in my view, they're desperate to acquire goods as well. | 0:03:05 | 0:03:08 | |
The Middle East, Persians specifically, there's less knowledge about it, | 0:03:08 | 0:03:12 | |
so with a little bit of dedicated research, | 0:03:12 | 0:03:14 | |
you can really get one step ahead of the market. | 0:03:14 | 0:03:17 | |
The Middle East has its own appeal and collectability | 0:03:17 | 0:03:21 | |
and definitely shouldn't be overlooked. | 0:03:21 | 0:03:23 | |
We don't see many items from these parts at our valuation days, | 0:03:23 | 0:03:27 | |
but when we do, they are intriguing and unique | 0:03:27 | 0:03:30 | |
as James Lewis discovered. | 0:03:30 | 0:03:32 | |
Christine and Steve, tell me the history. Where did you find it? | 0:03:32 | 0:03:36 | |
-In a junk shop in Chingford. -Did you really? | 0:03:36 | 0:03:38 | |
I bought this 60-odd years ago, when I was a schoolboy. | 0:03:38 | 0:03:42 | |
Well, this is Arabic, known as a janbiya, | 0:03:42 | 0:03:46 | |
which basically is Arabic for a knife. | 0:03:46 | 0:03:49 | |
This is from Yemen and the janbiya was used as a fighting knife, | 0:03:49 | 0:03:56 | |
but today they are used more ceremonially. | 0:03:56 | 0:03:59 | |
This is a hardwood handle and then we have overlay in silver | 0:03:59 | 0:04:06 | |
and the silver overlays, the hardwood handle | 0:04:06 | 0:04:09 | |
and also this leather scabbard. It's 19th century, | 0:04:09 | 0:04:13 | |
it's covered in silver, it's ceremonial, | 0:04:13 | 0:04:17 | |
but it's still something that has quite a good second-hand value. | 0:04:17 | 0:04:20 | |
The value of them depends really on their hilt. | 0:04:20 | 0:04:24 | |
They can be made from lapis lazuli, they can be made from wood, | 0:04:24 | 0:04:28 | |
they can be set with precious or semiprecious stones | 0:04:28 | 0:04:31 | |
and the case can be covered in gold filigree wire rather than silver. | 0:04:31 | 0:04:37 | |
So the variety of coverings and styles and qualities is endless. | 0:04:37 | 0:04:44 | |
I think an auction estimate of £100 to £150 | 0:04:44 | 0:04:47 | |
-and I think it will do jolly well. -Great. | 0:04:47 | 0:04:50 | |
And it was "Flog It!"'s own Will Axon, who took to the rostrum | 0:04:50 | 0:04:53 | |
to sell this traditional piece of Middle Eastern culture. | 0:04:53 | 0:04:56 | |
There we are. Where do you start me on that? | 0:04:56 | 0:04:58 | |
Again, a bit of interest in this. I've got to start here | 0:04:58 | 0:05:02 | |
-at 80, 90, 100. -Wow. | 0:05:02 | 0:05:03 | |
There's a big market for Arab items | 0:05:03 | 0:05:06 | |
and most Arab clients | 0:05:06 | 0:05:08 | |
and buyers have got fairly deep pockets. | 0:05:08 | 0:05:10 | |
160, 180 I'm bid | 0:05:10 | 0:05:12 | |
and 200 I have with me. At £200... | 0:05:12 | 0:05:14 | |
-That was a quick jump, wasn't it, to £200? -..at £200 now. | 0:05:14 | 0:05:18 | |
Shakes the head at £200 on commission then. At £200. | 0:05:18 | 0:05:21 | |
All done then? All the bidding is here with me. All done at £200? | 0:05:21 | 0:05:25 | |
Hammer's up and selling at 200. | 0:05:25 | 0:05:28 | |
-GAVEL BANGS -Well done. That was good. | 0:05:28 | 0:05:31 | |
That great result proves there's a big market for Arabic artefacts, | 0:05:31 | 0:05:35 | |
but what other objects are worth looking out for? | 0:05:35 | 0:05:38 | |
A good way to get into Middle Eastern antiques, | 0:05:38 | 0:05:42 | |
I would suggest Eastern metalwares - copper, brass, that sort of thing. | 0:05:42 | 0:05:47 | |
There are vases, ewers, plates, chargers, | 0:05:47 | 0:05:51 | |
some of them more elaborate with silver inlay, gold inlay. | 0:05:51 | 0:05:54 | |
They're produced in huge numbers and, I think, as an entry-level, | 0:05:54 | 0:05:57 | |
that's a fairly good pointer | 0:05:57 | 0:06:00 | |
and work your way up from there, really. | 0:06:00 | 0:06:03 | |
But you have to understand what you're buying. | 0:06:03 | 0:06:05 | |
There are so many fakes out there, so many modern tourist things. | 0:06:05 | 0:06:09 | |
Just be careful. | 0:06:10 | 0:06:12 | |
But Nick Hall threw caution to the wind and went ahead | 0:06:15 | 0:06:18 | |
with the valuation of these rarely-seen shields | 0:06:18 | 0:06:21 | |
from Persia, modern-day Iran. | 0:06:21 | 0:06:23 | |
How on earth have these come to be in your possession? | 0:06:24 | 0:06:27 | |
-They were left to me by a neighbour back in 1980. -Right. | 0:06:27 | 0:06:31 | |
And was she a collector of sorts or a traveller? | 0:06:31 | 0:06:34 | |
No, her husband was a merchant. He was in the merchant Navy | 0:06:34 | 0:06:37 | |
-and he used to travel a lot. -So, he's travelled and collected on his travels. | 0:06:37 | 0:06:40 | |
That explains it because they've come a long way, all the way from what used to be called Persia. | 0:06:40 | 0:06:44 | |
At the time of the valuation day, we didn't see | 0:06:44 | 0:06:47 | |
a lot of Persian items. | 0:06:47 | 0:06:48 | |
We're starting to see a little bit more now with the growth | 0:06:48 | 0:06:51 | |
of the Asian market as a whole, but Persian items are a little bit | 0:06:51 | 0:06:54 | |
scarce and rarer so it was a great pleasure to see those walk in. | 0:06:54 | 0:06:57 | |
Wonderful things. | 0:06:57 | 0:06:59 | |
Date-wise, these are probably late 19th century. | 0:06:59 | 0:07:02 | |
Nice decoration on them as well. They're not a pair. | 0:07:02 | 0:07:05 | |
-They're very similar. -Right. | 0:07:05 | 0:07:07 | |
Same region, same date, same type of decoration. | 0:07:07 | 0:07:10 | |
There's chasing on the metalwork, we can see here, | 0:07:10 | 0:07:14 | |
even little bits of enamelling as well on the top there. | 0:07:14 | 0:07:16 | |
-Some wonderful designs. -Yeah. | 0:07:16 | 0:07:18 | |
Almost too nice to be hacked to bits with a big sword. Lovely things | 0:07:18 | 0:07:22 | |
and quite rare to see. We don't see a lot of Middle Eastern artefacts. | 0:07:22 | 0:07:26 | |
It's always difficult to value things | 0:07:26 | 0:07:28 | |
that you don't see that often. You've got to have a bit of market knowledge. | 0:07:28 | 0:07:32 | |
You've got to constantly read up on the subject, study the subject, | 0:07:32 | 0:07:35 | |
you've got to go through trade journals and follow other international sales, | 0:07:35 | 0:07:38 | |
so that you are ready and prepared that when you do see them, | 0:07:38 | 0:07:41 | |
you've got all that knowledge sat and ready. Not easy. | 0:07:41 | 0:07:44 | |
It's hard work and dedication, but worth it when something like that walks in. | 0:07:44 | 0:07:47 | |
So, we need to put a sensible price on them. | 0:07:47 | 0:07:50 | |
I think each shield is worth in the region of 150-250, | 0:07:50 | 0:07:54 | |
-there and thereabouts. -Right, OK. No, that's good. | 0:07:54 | 0:07:57 | |
Per shield, per shield. | 0:07:57 | 0:07:58 | |
As they weren't a matching pair, | 0:07:58 | 0:08:00 | |
Nick decided they should be sold separately. | 0:08:00 | 0:08:03 | |
Come on, 100 to start. 100 I'm bid. | 0:08:03 | 0:08:05 | |
I've got you at 100, 110, 120, | 0:08:05 | 0:08:08 | |
130, 140, 150, 160... | 0:08:08 | 0:08:11 | |
-This is good, isn't it? -Yeah. | 0:08:11 | 0:08:12 | |
..180, on my right. Selling at 180. | 0:08:12 | 0:08:14 | |
Are we all done at 180? I've got you at £180 now. | 0:08:14 | 0:08:18 | |
-Selling at 180. -The hammer's going down. -That's a good start. -Yeah. | 0:08:18 | 0:08:22 | |
-Let's see if we can get 180 for the next one. -120, 130, 140, 150, 160, | 0:08:22 | 0:08:27 | |
170, 180, 180 on my right. | 0:08:27 | 0:08:29 | |
-Selling at 180. -GAVEL BANGS | 0:08:29 | 0:08:32 | |
-Not bad at all. Not bad at all. -I'm very pleased with that. | 0:08:32 | 0:08:34 | |
-Very pleased. That's great. -That's a result, isn't it? | 0:08:34 | 0:08:37 | |
Of course, they would have sold better if they had been a true pair | 0:08:37 | 0:08:40 | |
rather than two very similar objects. Pairs always make more. | 0:08:40 | 0:08:43 | |
Not just twice the price of a single one but often three or four times. | 0:08:43 | 0:08:47 | |
So, if they'd been a true pair, they would have made considerably more. | 0:08:47 | 0:08:51 | |
I suspect there would have been even more collectors on them | 0:08:51 | 0:08:54 | |
because you just don't see them. | 0:08:54 | 0:08:56 | |
What you are more likely to see in Britain are these - rugs. | 0:09:02 | 0:09:06 | |
The Persian tradition of carpet making goes back thousands of years. | 0:09:06 | 0:09:10 | |
Britain began importing them in the 1880s | 0:09:10 | 0:09:13 | |
and some experts say, today, there are possibly more of them | 0:09:13 | 0:09:16 | |
in Europe than there are in Iran itself. | 0:09:16 | 0:09:19 | |
If you want to collect them, here are a few tips. | 0:09:20 | 0:09:23 | |
I think the best thing to look for in Persian rugs are old rugs | 0:09:24 | 0:09:28 | |
and it's quite easy, luckily, to distinguish an old rug | 0:09:28 | 0:09:30 | |
from a new rug based on the fact that most old rugs are dyed | 0:09:30 | 0:09:34 | |
using natural dyes, which fade over time. | 0:09:34 | 0:09:38 | |
So, when you see variations in colour in a rug, you know that it's old. | 0:09:38 | 0:09:42 | |
The first rug is a rug probably made for the European market. | 0:09:42 | 0:09:47 | |
The flowers are very European. | 0:09:47 | 0:09:49 | |
Look at the variations in the reds, for example. | 0:09:49 | 0:09:52 | |
That's the indication of a natural dye. | 0:09:52 | 0:09:55 | |
The rug is not very fine. It's more exuberant | 0:09:55 | 0:09:58 | |
than it is a fine work of art, so it's not going to be of great value. | 0:09:58 | 0:10:02 | |
The second rug, the design is much finer | 0:10:02 | 0:10:05 | |
and there's a lot of attention to the colour and all the little details, | 0:10:05 | 0:10:08 | |
but with fine rugs, you tend to cut the pile, which is the furry bit, | 0:10:08 | 0:10:12 | |
closer so that you can see the design better and as a result, | 0:10:12 | 0:10:17 | |
they tend to survive less well over time. | 0:10:17 | 0:10:19 | |
And I think it's better to spend one's money on a rug | 0:10:19 | 0:10:21 | |
in good condition than a beautiful fine rug, | 0:10:21 | 0:10:24 | |
which was much nicer 100 years ago than it is today. | 0:10:24 | 0:10:27 | |
You can buy a good quality antique rug for around £150, | 0:10:29 | 0:10:33 | |
but the record for a Persian one at auction is for over £20 million. | 0:10:33 | 0:10:38 | |
Carpets not your thing? Well, then Persian miniatures | 0:10:41 | 0:10:44 | |
are also highly collectable but, once again, there's a lot to learn. | 0:10:44 | 0:10:48 | |
This is a Persian one. | 0:10:48 | 0:10:50 | |
If you look at the faces, they're usually not in profile, | 0:10:50 | 0:10:54 | |
they're more rounded faces with more Asian eyes | 0:10:54 | 0:10:58 | |
and this one, there's a little Persian inscription on the side. | 0:10:58 | 0:11:02 | |
It says Khosrau and Shirin. They are two lovers. | 0:11:02 | 0:11:06 | |
They're kind of the Persian version of Romeo and Juliet. | 0:11:06 | 0:11:09 | |
But with values ranging from tens of pounds to millions, | 0:11:09 | 0:11:13 | |
you need to be careful not to get caught out. | 0:11:13 | 0:11:16 | |
This is a Mughal miniature from India and these are more common. | 0:11:17 | 0:11:22 | |
The Mughal faces, which are almost always in profile, | 0:11:22 | 0:11:25 | |
and usually the background is quite plain | 0:11:25 | 0:11:27 | |
and the whole emphasis is on the figure that you're depicting. | 0:11:27 | 0:11:30 | |
It's easy to confuse Persian with Indian as the Persian influence | 0:11:30 | 0:11:33 | |
was strong in India 300 years ago. | 0:11:33 | 0:11:36 | |
It's quite easy to tell if something is a fake. | 0:11:36 | 0:11:38 | |
If there's a lot of writing in the miniature. | 0:11:38 | 0:11:41 | |
One of the most common things with miniatures that you buy today | 0:11:41 | 0:11:45 | |
is that they are actually an old piece of paper with a new painting, | 0:11:45 | 0:11:49 | |
because what they do is get some old notebook and paint an elaborate scene | 0:11:49 | 0:11:53 | |
in the centre of the page, so those are the things to watch out for. | 0:11:53 | 0:11:58 | |
Also these are very delicate objects and they will show some signs of wear | 0:11:58 | 0:12:03 | |
if they are original. Bear that in mind. | 0:12:03 | 0:12:06 | |
The next country on our Eastern voyage is India, | 0:12:10 | 0:12:12 | |
jewel in the crown of the British Empire for over 300 years... | 0:12:12 | 0:12:17 | |
Wow. | 0:12:17 | 0:12:18 | |
..and a country that adopted some of our most treasured traditions. | 0:12:18 | 0:12:23 | |
Sophia, what a wonderful tea set! Do you know how old it is? | 0:12:23 | 0:12:27 | |
-I think it's '20s or '30s. -Very much. We've got pure Art Deco lines. | 0:12:27 | 0:12:31 | |
-The Indians were very influenced by the Art Deco period. -Right, OK. | 0:12:31 | 0:12:36 | |
A huge amount of very, very poor quality items have come out of India | 0:12:36 | 0:12:41 | |
as indeed the Far East, so if you're thinking of starting, | 0:12:41 | 0:12:45 | |
go for quality. | 0:12:45 | 0:12:46 | |
There are two things really that set it aside | 0:12:46 | 0:12:49 | |
and make it absolutely obvious that it's not an English tea set. | 0:12:49 | 0:12:53 | |
One is this very intricate Indian trace decoration in the panels | 0:12:53 | 0:12:59 | |
and also this extraordinary very Indian-looking spout. | 0:12:59 | 0:13:04 | |
You just wouldn't have a spout like that finishing off | 0:13:04 | 0:13:06 | |
-an English teapot. -Oh, I see. -Of course, if it had a hallmark | 0:13:06 | 0:13:09 | |
we would be able to tell you exactly where it was made | 0:13:09 | 0:13:12 | |
and we would be able to tell you the date and who made it. | 0:13:12 | 0:13:15 | |
None of that information is available here other than the bottom | 0:13:15 | 0:13:19 | |
-where it says, "Made in Kashmir." -It is a Kashmiri design. | 0:13:19 | 0:13:23 | |
-It is a Kashmiri design, is it? -Yes. | 0:13:23 | 0:13:26 | |
A hallmark tells us a great deal about a piece, | 0:13:26 | 0:13:29 | |
but a lot of Indian silver isn't hallmarked, making it difficult | 0:13:29 | 0:13:33 | |
to know exactly what you've got | 0:13:33 | 0:13:35 | |
but there are few exceptions to the rule. | 0:13:35 | 0:13:37 | |
A lot of really good English silversmiths went to India | 0:13:37 | 0:13:42 | |
and a nice piece of Indian silver made by an English silversmith, | 0:13:42 | 0:13:46 | |
you will find marks on it that will enable you to date it. | 0:13:46 | 0:13:50 | |
Now, I suppose, of all the pieces of silver that are least saleable, | 0:13:50 | 0:13:53 | |
-it's tea sets. -Yes. -Simply because people don't use them any more. -Yes. | 0:13:53 | 0:13:57 | |
-So, you're really looking at a value of a few hundred pounds to £300. -OK. | 0:13:57 | 0:14:04 | |
Charlie's valuation of the Indian tea set was on the cautious side | 0:14:04 | 0:14:07 | |
and reflected its scrap value. | 0:14:07 | 0:14:09 | |
All hallmarked silver in the UK has a minimum 92.5% silver content, | 0:14:11 | 0:14:17 | |
but without a hallmark to prove its purity, | 0:14:17 | 0:14:20 | |
this tea set may contain a lot less. | 0:14:20 | 0:14:22 | |
You just can't tell without having it tested. | 0:14:22 | 0:14:25 | |
It's worth probably £500 in weight of silver | 0:14:25 | 0:14:29 | |
if it was English sterling silver. | 0:14:29 | 0:14:31 | |
-You've cottoned onto this, haven't you? -Yes. | 0:14:31 | 0:14:33 | |
You rang James up. I had a quick chat with the auctioneer | 0:14:33 | 0:14:36 | |
just before the sale started. | 0:14:36 | 0:14:38 | |
Sophia has now upped the valuation, we've got a fixed reserve of £450. | 0:14:38 | 0:14:43 | |
-Yes. -So, it just might struggle, but you don't know | 0:14:43 | 0:14:48 | |
because you can't tell the quality of Indian silver. | 0:14:48 | 0:14:51 | |
You don't know if it's equal amounts or slightly less. | 0:14:51 | 0:14:53 | |
But in the end, it's all down to the bidders. | 0:14:53 | 0:14:57 | |
I have two commissions on the book | 0:14:57 | 0:14:59 | |
-and I start the bidding with me at £450. -Yes! Worry over. | 0:14:59 | 0:15:05 | |
460, 470, 480, 490, | 0:15:05 | 0:15:09 | |
500, 520, 540, 560... | 0:15:09 | 0:15:12 | |
-What do I know? -..580, 600. | 0:15:12 | 0:15:15 | |
At £600, with me on the book at £600. | 0:15:15 | 0:15:19 | |
-Are you all done? -...over. -GAVEL BANGS | 0:15:19 | 0:15:21 | |
-The hammer's gone down. £600. Well done. -Thank you, thank you. | 0:15:21 | 0:15:26 | |
I'm really pleased. | 0:15:26 | 0:15:28 | |
The tea set's fine quality and exquisite Kashmir design | 0:15:28 | 0:15:31 | |
definitely set it apart in the saleroom, | 0:15:31 | 0:15:34 | |
but my advice is, unless you've absolutely fallen in love | 0:15:34 | 0:15:37 | |
with a piece of silver, be cautious. | 0:15:37 | 0:15:40 | |
If you're unsure of the silver content | 0:15:40 | 0:15:42 | |
don't pay more than you have to. | 0:15:42 | 0:15:44 | |
If it's not by a particularly well-known maker, yes, | 0:15:44 | 0:15:47 | |
it comes down to the scrap value | 0:15:47 | 0:15:49 | |
and you can follow the scrap value very, very easily online | 0:15:49 | 0:15:53 | |
and it goes up and down like a yo-yo. | 0:15:53 | 0:15:56 | |
As I sit here, it is at £11 an ounce. | 0:15:56 | 0:15:59 | |
A few weeks ago, it was £16 an ounce. | 0:15:59 | 0:16:04 | |
Two, three years ago, it was £4 an ounce. | 0:16:04 | 0:16:08 | |
Quite extraordinary fluctuations. | 0:16:08 | 0:16:10 | |
When Indian craftsmen are working at their best, | 0:16:16 | 0:16:19 | |
the quality and the use of materials are beyond compare. | 0:16:19 | 0:16:23 | |
One example is among the finest things I've ever seen on "Flog It!". | 0:16:23 | 0:16:27 | |
Thomas was impressed, too. | 0:16:27 | 0:16:29 | |
This piece of Anglo-Indian art would be the kind of thing | 0:16:30 | 0:16:37 | |
-you would find in a house like behind me. -Really? -Yeah. | 0:16:37 | 0:16:41 | |
-Wonderful. -It's that sort of quality. Do you like it? -I do, yes. I do. | 0:16:41 | 0:16:45 | |
The Anglo-Indian chessboard and chess pieces, | 0:16:45 | 0:16:50 | |
I called Anglo-Indian because of the work and the style of the piece. | 0:16:50 | 0:16:55 | |
Anglo-Indian furniture, or colonial furniture, | 0:16:55 | 0:16:58 | |
has its influence in us Britons going to India and asking craftsmen | 0:16:58 | 0:17:05 | |
to create pieces of furniture, decorative items in our taste. | 0:17:05 | 0:17:11 | |
-Where did it come from? -It came from my late husband's family | 0:17:11 | 0:17:15 | |
and he inherited it, I think, from his grandparents. | 0:17:15 | 0:17:19 | |
It's got the use here of bone, ivory and tortoiseshell. | 0:17:19 | 0:17:24 | |
The ivory in this was used and this was made well before 1947. | 0:17:24 | 0:17:31 | |
Anything later than 1947, we cannot sell, we cannot touch, | 0:17:31 | 0:17:35 | |
it's illegal to handle. But ivory made pre-then is OK. | 0:17:35 | 0:17:40 | |
It's amazing that it's all complete. | 0:17:40 | 0:17:41 | |
There's one or two nicks out of the rooks | 0:17:41 | 0:17:44 | |
and we've got a bit of fret missing. | 0:17:44 | 0:17:45 | |
Yes, this work needs to be restored and they can be restored, | 0:17:45 | 0:17:48 | |
but it's not the end of the world. | 0:17:48 | 0:17:50 | |
When looking at antiques, | 0:17:50 | 0:17:52 | |
I have a thing in my head, "Keep on going. | 0:17:52 | 0:17:56 | |
"Don't compromise on quality, don't compromise on quality." | 0:17:56 | 0:18:00 | |
And when you see something of quality, you're thinking, | 0:18:00 | 0:18:04 | |
"Is this really good? Is this something I've not seen before? | 0:18:04 | 0:18:08 | |
"Should I compromise on it? Do I pick holes in it?" | 0:18:08 | 0:18:11 | |
-The work in this is amazing, isn't it? -It is. It's beautiful. | 0:18:11 | 0:18:15 | |
You've got this tortoiseshell base and then this beautiful fretwork, | 0:18:15 | 0:18:19 | |
with this amazing engraved and painted design around the octagonal, | 0:18:19 | 0:18:26 | |
on this beautiful turned horn stem, with ivory roundels | 0:18:26 | 0:18:34 | |
and again on a similar tortoiseshell and fretwork carved base | 0:18:34 | 0:18:38 | |
on these paw feet. Now, these feet are bone. | 0:18:38 | 0:18:41 | |
-Oh, they're bone? Not ivory? -They're not ivory, they're bone | 0:18:41 | 0:18:44 | |
-because you see the little black flecks in there? -Yes. -Those are little blood vessels. | 0:18:44 | 0:18:48 | |
When looking at this Anglo-Indian chessboard, you can see the quality | 0:18:48 | 0:18:52 | |
and the design. Also it did have that naive charm | 0:18:52 | 0:18:57 | |
of being Anglo-Indian, but that gave it a certain je ne sais quoi, | 0:18:57 | 0:19:03 | |
which was delightful. | 0:19:03 | 0:19:06 | |
You've got people who collect Anglo-Indian works of art | 0:19:07 | 0:19:10 | |
and you've got people who collect chess pieces. | 0:19:10 | 0:19:13 | |
But also you've got the emerging economies. | 0:19:13 | 0:19:15 | |
The emerging economy of India are collecting back some of the items. | 0:19:15 | 0:19:19 | |
-Really, are they? -Yeah, of course. | 0:19:19 | 0:19:21 | |
Therefore, that will command a good valuation. | 0:19:21 | 0:19:24 | |
I think an estimate should be £500 to £700. | 0:19:24 | 0:19:28 | |
-I think that's pretty good. -Yeah. | 0:19:28 | 0:19:29 | |
Personally, I thought the estimate was a bit conservative. | 0:19:33 | 0:19:36 | |
I'd like to thank you for bringing in possibly one of the best items | 0:19:36 | 0:19:39 | |
I've seen on "Flog It!" for many, many years, | 0:19:39 | 0:19:42 | |
that little Anglo-Indian chess set, which Thomas | 0:19:42 | 0:19:45 | |
had the pleasure of valuing. | 0:19:45 | 0:19:47 | |
-Lots of interest. -Good. -It's quality. Quality always sells. | 0:19:47 | 0:19:51 | |
The damage won't put anybody off. This is going to be exciting | 0:19:51 | 0:19:54 | |
because it's going under the hammer right now. | 0:19:54 | 0:19:57 | |
Fingers crossed. I hope it flies, I really do. | 0:19:57 | 0:19:59 | |
Shall we say 450? And 550, | 0:20:01 | 0:20:05 | |
650, 750, 850. | 0:20:05 | 0:20:11 | |
900 we're bid, 950 I'm bid for it. | 0:20:11 | 0:20:15 | |
1,000, I have 1,000. And 50. | 0:20:15 | 0:20:17 | |
1,100? I've got 1,100, thank you. | 0:20:17 | 0:20:21 | |
At £1,100, then. | 0:20:21 | 0:20:23 | |
-I sell for £1,100, thank you. -GAVEL BANGS | 0:20:23 | 0:20:29 | |
-That's good, isn't it? -It's very good. -A very good result. | 0:20:29 | 0:20:33 | |
That Anglo-Indian chessboard and chest pieces was complete. | 0:20:33 | 0:20:38 | |
I don't think you'd find another one complete. | 0:20:38 | 0:20:42 | |
That's the reason why it made £1,100. | 0:20:42 | 0:20:44 | |
Now, we don't get that many Indian pieces at our "Flog It!" | 0:20:47 | 0:20:50 | |
valuation days, but if Barbara's spectacular chess set | 0:20:50 | 0:20:54 | |
was anything to go by, they're definitely worth looking out for. | 0:20:54 | 0:20:58 | |
Fine quality and craftsmanship will always draw in the bidders. | 0:20:58 | 0:21:02 | |
So, if you're interested in collecting such artefacts, | 0:21:02 | 0:21:05 | |
keep this checklist in mind. | 0:21:05 | 0:21:08 | |
The Arabic market is growing - don't overlook it. | 0:21:08 | 0:21:11 | |
Indian silver is unlikely to be hallmarked, so always be aware | 0:21:12 | 0:21:16 | |
that its silver content may be less than that of sterling silver. | 0:21:16 | 0:21:21 | |
If you can, get it tested and then you'll know its true scrap value. | 0:21:21 | 0:21:25 | |
But quality will always out, | 0:21:27 | 0:21:28 | |
be it beautifully decorated silver or the finest carved ivory. | 0:21:28 | 0:21:33 | |
Ivory was once widely used in European artworks. | 0:21:33 | 0:21:36 | |
It's now illegal to buy or sell pieces created after 1947. | 0:21:36 | 0:21:41 | |
Older items tend to be more yellow, but seek advice | 0:21:41 | 0:21:45 | |
and if any doubt, stay clear. | 0:21:45 | 0:21:47 | |
Michael Baggott has a particular passion for precious metals | 0:21:51 | 0:21:54 | |
and gems, and you can quite often see him at our valuation days | 0:21:54 | 0:21:58 | |
with a loop, a small magnifying glass, to his eye. | 0:21:58 | 0:22:02 | |
He's also fascinated by the Orient and everything from the Far East. | 0:22:02 | 0:22:07 | |
So, when he was invited to view a new collection of Japanese antiques, | 0:22:07 | 0:22:11 | |
he jumped at the chance. | 0:22:11 | 0:22:12 | |
Well, when I left Birmingham to go to college and study antiques, | 0:22:20 | 0:22:23 | |
I suddenly found a love or an excitement | 0:22:23 | 0:22:27 | |
of all things Chinese and Japanese | 0:22:27 | 0:22:29 | |
and, from that point on, I've been hooked. | 0:22:29 | 0:22:32 | |
Out of the whole scope of Japanese art and design, the ceramics, | 0:22:32 | 0:22:36 | |
the prints, I think my favourite has to be the little inro, | 0:22:36 | 0:22:39 | |
which are so collectable and so many different designs. | 0:22:39 | 0:22:43 | |
Hopefully, here at the Oriental Museum in Durham, we can see some. | 0:22:43 | 0:22:46 | |
So, Rachel, thank you for liberating these from the cases momentarily. | 0:22:50 | 0:22:54 | |
-You're very welcome. -It's a wonderful display. | 0:22:54 | 0:22:57 | |
Obviously, you're very familiar with Chinese and Japanese art | 0:22:57 | 0:23:01 | |
and the fact that they share quite a lot | 0:23:01 | 0:23:03 | |
-of techniques and iconography. -Yes. | 0:23:03 | 0:23:05 | |
What hints have you got for telling the difference | 0:23:05 | 0:23:09 | |
between Chinese and Japanese objects? | 0:23:09 | 0:23:11 | |
-That's the million-dollar question. -It is. -It's not easy. | 0:23:11 | 0:23:15 | |
Really, what it comes down to is just looking at as many things | 0:23:15 | 0:23:19 | |
as you possibly can. | 0:23:19 | 0:23:21 | |
Japan has always been heavily influenced by China | 0:23:21 | 0:23:24 | |
and by Chinese art, so a lot of Japanese art looks very similar, | 0:23:24 | 0:23:28 | |
uses the same motifs, the same colours. | 0:23:28 | 0:23:30 | |
But we've got a selection of ceramics here that are | 0:23:30 | 0:23:32 | |
more uniquely Japanese in design. Can you tell us about them? | 0:23:32 | 0:23:35 | |
I think this one at the front is the kind of piece | 0:23:35 | 0:23:38 | |
that people are most readily going to think of as being very Japanese. | 0:23:38 | 0:23:41 | |
This lovely porcelain, with these beautiful bright colours on it, | 0:23:41 | 0:23:44 | |
is the kind of thing that was made | 0:23:44 | 0:23:46 | |
specifically in Japan for export to Europe, | 0:23:46 | 0:23:48 | |
so it's the kind of thing that collectors are most likely to see here. | 0:23:48 | 0:23:51 | |
This piece here, dates to the 18th century. | 0:23:51 | 0:23:54 | |
And by great contrast, some people might have a five-year-old | 0:23:54 | 0:23:58 | |
-that's come back with something very similar to this. -Yes. | 0:23:58 | 0:24:02 | |
But this is not the case. Tell us about this bowl. | 0:24:02 | 0:24:04 | |
No, this is an example of perhaps the most typically Japanese of wares. | 0:24:04 | 0:24:09 | |
This tea bowl dates to about 1600 and it's in a style | 0:24:09 | 0:24:14 | |
that's specifically designed to look simple and rustic and very rough, | 0:24:14 | 0:24:21 | |
but actually has taken a huge amount of skill, | 0:24:21 | 0:24:23 | |
a huge amount of thought has gone into it. | 0:24:23 | 0:24:25 | |
So, this is really, if we've got a chance of finding something | 0:24:25 | 0:24:29 | |
out there that's undervalued, it's going to be | 0:24:29 | 0:24:32 | |
-this class of Japanese tea wares. -Yeah. | 0:24:32 | 0:24:34 | |
And this is a stark contrast to what we have in the West. | 0:24:34 | 0:24:38 | |
-We're buying the... -Yes, we're buying these. | 0:24:38 | 0:24:41 | |
..the brightly-coloured fancy Arita wares. | 0:24:41 | 0:24:43 | |
But, moving on from that, they were also masters of metalwork as well, | 0:24:43 | 0:24:47 | |
-weren't they? -Yes, they were. -So, those aren't real, are they? | 0:24:47 | 0:24:50 | |
They're wonderful fun though, aren't they? | 0:24:50 | 0:24:54 | |
These kind of pieces were made by Japanese swordsmiths and armourers. | 0:24:54 | 0:24:59 | |
During the Edo period, so from 1650 and onwards, | 0:24:59 | 0:25:03 | |
when you've got peace in Japan, swordsmiths and armourers | 0:25:03 | 0:25:06 | |
are not so much in demand, so they're making these kind of pieces to show | 0:25:06 | 0:25:11 | |
the quality of their workmanship. | 0:25:11 | 0:25:13 | |
So, these are fully articulated. The snake all moves, | 0:25:13 | 0:25:16 | |
-the legs on the crab all move. -It's an immediate effect, isn't it? | 0:25:16 | 0:25:20 | |
And, of course, when they're not doing that, they are making swords | 0:25:20 | 0:25:23 | |
-and they're making sword fittings. -They are, yes. | 0:25:23 | 0:25:25 | |
We've got a collection of these here. These are tsuba. | 0:25:25 | 0:25:28 | |
So, this is the piece that fits at the base of your sword blade | 0:25:28 | 0:25:31 | |
and protects your hand when you're holding the hilt. | 0:25:31 | 0:25:34 | |
The more solid ones are the sort of thing that you think of | 0:25:34 | 0:25:37 | |
as earlier, more practical pieces. | 0:25:37 | 0:25:39 | |
During the Edo period, your sword can become much more decorative. | 0:25:39 | 0:25:41 | |
It's much more about showing off your status | 0:25:41 | 0:25:44 | |
and so these kind of sword fittings again become much more decorative | 0:25:44 | 0:25:47 | |
and obviously when Japan opens up to the West, | 0:25:47 | 0:25:51 | |
people were bringing back swords but swords are rather bulky to carry, | 0:25:51 | 0:25:54 | |
so something like a tsuba makes an ideal souvenir. | 0:25:54 | 0:25:58 | |
So these things came back to the West in large numbers. | 0:25:58 | 0:26:01 | |
Now, we move on from those to my favourite | 0:26:01 | 0:26:05 | |
-because I love inros and you've picked out four super ones. -I have. | 0:26:05 | 0:26:11 | |
The inro is the compartments. | 0:26:11 | 0:26:13 | |
These were created first of all to carry medicines, | 0:26:13 | 0:26:15 | |
herbs and seals and then they hung from your belt of your kimono | 0:26:15 | 0:26:20 | |
and the netsuke is the toggle that secures it in place and makes sure | 0:26:20 | 0:26:24 | |
that you don't lose all your precious things hanging from your belt. | 0:26:24 | 0:26:27 | |
And I've tried to get a range of materials. | 0:26:27 | 0:26:30 | |
People tend to think of the lacquer ones, Japanese lacquer is wonderful, | 0:26:30 | 0:26:34 | |
but I also wanted to get a couple of different ones out, | 0:26:34 | 0:26:37 | |
so I've got this lovely wooden one, with these very playful monkeys. | 0:26:37 | 0:26:40 | |
So, in terms of what is attainable and collectable today, I think, | 0:26:40 | 0:26:45 | |
certainly if you look at the tsuba, | 0:26:45 | 0:26:46 | |
they're easily accessible. At the very bottom level, | 0:26:46 | 0:26:50 | |
you can buy a really simple example for £50, £100, | 0:26:50 | 0:26:54 | |
going up to, for the decorated ones, £2,000, £3,000, maybe even £10,000 | 0:26:54 | 0:26:58 | |
for the very best examples. | 0:26:58 | 0:27:01 | |
My love are the inros. You can buy a very nice inro for £300 or £400. | 0:27:01 | 0:27:06 | |
When you get into the very better ones, | 0:27:06 | 0:27:08 | |
you're talking multiples of 10,000, but it just shows you that | 0:27:08 | 0:27:12 | |
if you want to collect Japanese art, it's accessible at every level, | 0:27:12 | 0:27:16 | |
isn't it? Marvellous. | 0:27:16 | 0:27:18 | |
I've had a wonderful day at the Oriental Museum. | 0:27:21 | 0:27:24 | |
I've see lots of wonderful objects, beautifully made. | 0:27:24 | 0:27:28 | |
I think if this has inspired you to collect Japanese art, | 0:27:28 | 0:27:32 | |
just be aware of the huge diversity of objects you can find, | 0:27:32 | 0:27:36 | |
but if you're on a budget, don't go for the obvious. | 0:27:36 | 0:27:38 | |
Maybe go and choose an obscure area of ceramics to collect. | 0:27:38 | 0:27:42 | |
That would be my advice. | 0:27:42 | 0:27:45 | |
After seeing that wonderful tea ceremony bowl, I'm going | 0:27:45 | 0:27:47 | |
to go off now and have a look for some wonky pots. | 0:27:47 | 0:27:51 | |
Who knows? One of them might be by a 16th-century master. | 0:27:51 | 0:27:54 | |
Oriental art and design are truly fascinating areas | 0:28:00 | 0:28:03 | |
and there's an enormous array of beautiful items out there. | 0:28:03 | 0:28:07 | |
If we've inspired you to start collecting, | 0:28:07 | 0:28:09 | |
my advice is to keep an eye out on emerging markets | 0:28:09 | 0:28:12 | |
and look out for items that are just that little bit different. | 0:28:12 | 0:28:16 | |
Well, that's it for today. I hope you have enjoyed the show. | 0:28:19 | 0:28:22 | |
Join us again soon for more Trade Secrets. | 0:28:22 | 0:28:25 |