0:00:06 > 0:00:10One of the things I love about "Flog It!" is seeing and hearing
0:00:10 > 0:00:14about the thousands of interesting, beautiful and sometimes valuable
0:00:14 > 0:00:17items you bring along to our valuation days.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21- It's called Adam.- Is it? - After yourself.- That's very kind.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25The Scarlet Pimpernel would have needed one of these
0:00:25 > 0:00:27during the French Revolution!
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Over the years, we've made hundreds of trips
0:00:29 > 0:00:31to auction rooms all over the British Isles.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35That's £120. For the very last time...
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Bang! That is a big "sold" sound!
0:00:38 > 0:00:41- £700...- That's fantastic.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Now, in this series, I want to share some of the knowledge
0:00:44 > 0:00:46we've picked up with you
0:00:46 > 0:00:49to let you in on some of our trade secrets.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21The natural world has been a source of inspiration to artists
0:01:21 > 0:01:24ever since humans first started daubing images
0:01:24 > 0:01:26on ancient cave walls,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29and in more recent times, makers and writers have continued to find
0:01:29 > 0:01:32their muse in the world around them.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34As an nation of pet lovers,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37we have a particular affection for collectables featuring animals,
0:01:37 > 0:01:41so today, we're casting a beady eye on antiques inspired by
0:01:41 > 0:01:44our furred and feathered friends.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47This lovely glowing light that is falling on their backs
0:01:47 > 0:01:50- and shoulders.- It's nice, isn't it? - Lovely. Lovely piece.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56On today's show, we've got a colourful cast of creatures
0:01:56 > 0:01:57from our valuation days.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59- A turtle.- Would you?- Hmm.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Well, I said tortoise and Beryl said turtle
0:02:01 > 0:02:04and to this day, I still think I'm right.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07A cheeky monkey causes a sensation in the saleroom.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09£500...
0:02:09 > 0:02:10£1,800.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12£1,900.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15£2,000.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19And I'm at London Zoo
0:02:19 > 0:02:22on the trail of an unlikely avian artist.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25I'm not a bird expert, but that looks real.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34The exotic fauna from all over the world has intrigued travellers
0:02:34 > 0:02:35for centuries.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Intrepid explorers have brought back tales of the creatures they've seen,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42and their stories have inspired makers of fine things
0:02:42 > 0:02:45to reproduce animal images in their work,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48but which are worth a closer look today?
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Some animals do appeal to collectors more than others.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Cats! Pigs. People love to collect pigs.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Farmers, of course, will buy Beswick cows and Beswick bulls
0:03:01 > 0:03:05so, yes, some animals are more collectable than others.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07For me, it's horses.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11But for someone else, it might be dogs.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14For someone else, it might be ducks.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Some of the more obscure animals will appeal to people -
0:03:17 > 0:03:21emus and koalas and penguins and things like that,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24so I think any animal is good news, really.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28We see dozens of animal-themed antiques on "Flog It!"
0:03:28 > 0:03:31and as we're a nation of animal lovers,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33these items tend to sell well.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Whether it's cats, dogs, horses, cows, we've all got our favourites.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42At a valuation day on HMS Warrior in Portsmouth,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Will Axon showed that he clearly values a bird in the hand.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Russell, tell me, how have you come by this?
0:03:48 > 0:03:50This really caught my eye when I saw you in the queue.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54- I bought it in an antiques store in West Sussex.- OK.
0:03:54 > 0:03:55About six months ago.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58I thought at first it was a print.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00- Yes.- But my other half is a picture-framer
0:04:00 > 0:04:02and had a good look at it and we thought
0:04:02 > 0:04:04maybe it is a painting.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07There's no doubt that you've bought yourself what I think
0:04:07 > 0:04:09is a rather nice watercolour.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Most of the painting is actually exposed paper.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15The whole body of the cockatoos, we'll call them,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17is actually where he's left the paper.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19He hasn't painted that,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21so I think that, in turn, helps accentuate
0:04:21 > 0:04:23this lovely glowing light
0:04:23 > 0:04:26- that is falling on their backs and shoulders.- It's nice, isn't it?
0:04:26 > 0:04:28I think it's a really nice watercolour.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30And signed - HSM.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Now, I think you've done a little bit of research.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35- I have.- What have you come up with?
0:04:35 > 0:04:37I believe it's Henry Stacy Marks,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40- who did lots of bird paintings. - Exactly right.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41You've got to be careful
0:04:41 > 0:04:45because a little bit of research can be a dangerous thing.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47It takes you off on a tangent.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49All of a sudden, you think, "Oh, my days!
0:04:49 > 0:04:51"I've got the crown jewels here.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54"There's an example of this painting hanging in the V&A,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57"and I must have another copy of it."
0:04:57 > 0:04:59If that's the case, the original's probably in the V&A,
0:04:59 > 0:05:01and you've got a print of it.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Russell did a bit of research on the cockatoo picture
0:05:04 > 0:05:09and so he would have seen that Stacy Marks was a well-known artist.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11His most famous work is of birds,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13and hangs in the Walker Gallery in Liverpool,
0:05:13 > 0:05:16so he is well known for this subject matter.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19He's an artist, sort of mid-19th century,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22he was actually working for Minton, for example,
0:05:22 > 0:05:24painting on ceramics and doing more decorative works
0:05:24 > 0:05:26- and things like that.- Yeah. - But this was really his love.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29He took a real interest in birds, mainly parakeets,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32I suppose for the exotic flavour of them.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35You looked at it and you believed it,
0:05:35 > 0:05:38whereas other bird pictures, when they're perched on a branch
0:05:38 > 0:05:41or in a tree, they almost look like they're floating.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43They don't quite sit, you know?
0:05:43 > 0:05:45He's got gravity right. They stand well.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Really, you've just got to go with your gut instinct.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Does the picture work?
0:05:50 > 0:05:52If it does, then it's probably something.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56If it doesn't, maybe a lesser artist or someone trying to copy.
0:05:56 > 0:06:01For me, it was the light around the heads. It was quite stunning.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Yeah. Cos it's something that is very effective,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07looks simple, but I'm sure it's very difficult to get right.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09You just get the form of the body, don't you?
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Like I've said before, there's no painting here to suggest that.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15- It's purely done on the highlighting.- Yes.
0:06:15 > 0:06:16Lovely. Lovely piece.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18You say you bought it in an antiques shop.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20- Yes.- What was the price ticket?
0:06:20 > 0:06:22It was 55, and I got them down to 50.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Listen, Russell, I'd give you £100 for it now
0:06:25 > 0:06:27if you wanted a quick profit!
0:06:27 > 0:06:29But we're going to work in your interest.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31I'm going to say, let's put it into auction
0:06:31 > 0:06:33and I'm fairly confident, with that name,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36you'd get a price of at least £300 to £500.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38- Fantastic.- Yeah?- Good return.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43So, did those cockatoos ruffle a few feathers in the saleroom?
0:06:43 > 0:06:48- We have one, two, three, four commission bids here.- That's good.
0:06:48 > 0:06:54- Wow.- I will start the bidding at £500.- Top estimate!
0:06:54 > 0:06:56£500. Is there 20 in the room?
0:06:56 > 0:06:58And £500 and selling. Is there 20?
0:06:58 > 0:07:02At £500. Commission bid.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04At £500. Any more? All done?
0:07:04 > 0:07:07At £500 for the very last time...
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Well, that was short and sweet.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11I don't think Russell minds how short it was!
0:07:11 > 0:07:15You could say those birds flew away, couldn't you, at £500.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18- You've got to be happy with that? - I am indeed.- Ecstatic.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23I think Russell did earn his money.
0:07:23 > 0:07:24He took a chance,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27cos I know he was thinking of pursuing
0:07:27 > 0:07:29a career in the antiques trade,
0:07:29 > 0:07:30and I hope he has, you know?
0:07:30 > 0:07:32With an eye like that,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35I think he's got a head start on all of us.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38I dare say Russell has gone from strength to strength.
0:07:38 > 0:07:43He spotted a quality piece and, as we say time and time again,
0:07:43 > 0:07:45quality always sells.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49Now, a survey in 2013 claimed to answer definitively
0:07:49 > 0:07:54the question of whether we British prefer cats or dogs.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56By a slim margin, it's dogs.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00And that comes as no surprise to us on "Flog It!".
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Dogs are extremely popular, not just as man's best friend
0:08:03 > 0:08:06going back generations, but in antiques and art,
0:08:06 > 0:08:08we see dog paintings, dog sculptures.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Anything dog related always commands a premium
0:08:11 > 0:08:14because, like me, there are thousands of people out there
0:08:14 > 0:08:17that are absolutely passionate about dogs.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19- So, who spotted them?- My dad. - Did he?- Yeah.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22- Do you think he's clever, spotting them?- Yeah.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24- How much did he pay for them?- £5.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26£5? Do you think that's lot?
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Not really.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30You've done very well for a fiver,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33because these are early-20th-century Austrian
0:08:33 > 0:08:36cold-painted bronze dogs, bookends of course,
0:08:36 > 0:08:38that sit on these onyx bases.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41- They've both come detached from the bases.- Yes.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45Onyx was a very popular material used particularly in 1920s
0:08:45 > 0:08:47and 1930s sculptures, bronzes and spelter figures.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50It's typically green, but it does come in other colours.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53A lot of the time you see it polished and highly finished,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55but these ones were left in the rough of it
0:08:55 > 0:08:57and I think that was quite charming.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59They've been through the wars a bit but they're
0:08:59 > 0:09:02getting on for 100 years, or thereabouts.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04As I say, they're Austrian and cold-painted bronze.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07A lot are made in spelter as well, which is a cheaper alloy,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09but if you have a look underneath here,
0:09:09 > 0:09:11this yellowness shows us that they're bronze.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Also, the weight. They're nice and heavy.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16- You wouldn't like one to drop on your toe, would you?- No.
0:09:16 > 0:09:17Or that, actually.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19Sometimes, we also see cast-iron figures,
0:09:19 > 0:09:23which are simulated, pretending to be bronze as well.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26People say, "Look, they're very heavy, they must be bronze."
0:09:26 > 0:09:29That's when you need to get your magnet out,
0:09:29 > 0:09:31because bronze is not magnetic.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33What do you want for 'em? Tenner?
0:09:33 > 0:09:35More?
0:09:35 > 0:09:37- About...50?- About 50?
0:09:37 > 0:09:39- That's a good start.- That's it.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43- I'd like to think that they'd make £100 or maybe a bit more.- Really?
0:09:43 > 0:09:44Because they cost so little,
0:09:44 > 0:09:47let's go for it. Put a big estimate, see what happens.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51So, will the bidders BITE at auction?
0:09:51 > 0:09:5380 for these?
0:09:53 > 0:09:5580, thank you. 85 anywhere?
0:09:55 > 0:09:5785. And 90?
0:09:57 > 0:09:59- 85, with you, sir.- Fingers crossed.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01100. 105.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04110. 115. 120.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07125. 130. 135. 140.
0:10:07 > 0:10:08145. 150.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11160. 170.
0:10:11 > 0:10:12180. All done?
0:10:12 > 0:10:14£170.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16£170!
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Hammer went down on that.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20That is a lot of money, isn't it?
0:10:22 > 0:10:24They were on the cute end of things,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27the Scottie dog bookends. They always had a great story.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29They were picked up, I think, for a nominal sum
0:10:29 > 0:10:31at a car-boot sale.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33They're not my favourite breed of dog,
0:10:33 > 0:10:35but they're a very cute thing
0:10:35 > 0:10:39and I think that's undoubtedly why they appealed and sold so well.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Yes, the "Ahh" factor often adds value.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45The cuter it is, the more collectable.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50But I'm not sure this quality can be applied to the item
0:10:50 > 0:10:54James Lewis found at one of our Scottish valuation days.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Of all the things I was expecting to find here in Fife,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01a Turkish prisoner-of-war-work snake dated 1919
0:11:01 > 0:11:03is not one of them!
0:11:03 > 0:11:06When the Turks were over in England
0:11:06 > 0:11:08as prisoners of war,
0:11:08 > 0:11:12these were things that they could go into the local community and sell
0:11:12 > 0:11:13to raise a bit of money.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16What's it doing here and where did you find it?
0:11:16 > 0:11:18I found it in a market in London
0:11:18 > 0:11:20when I was eight years old
0:11:20 > 0:11:21and bought it for £1.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25No, that is ridiculous. That is a really good bargain.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Well done, you. It's an interesting thing
0:11:27 > 0:11:29and I don't know why the Turkish prisoners of war
0:11:29 > 0:11:33decided that it would be a really good thing to make snakes.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37You can imagine, you're sitting in your prisoner-of-war camp
0:11:37 > 0:11:38thinking, "Hmm. What can I do?
0:11:38 > 0:11:41"I know, I'm going to make a beadwork snake!"
0:11:41 > 0:11:44But they made them in their hundreds and thousands.
0:11:44 > 0:11:50I think there are two quite distinct categories of what was made
0:11:50 > 0:11:52in a prisoner-of-war camp -
0:11:52 > 0:11:55those that were made by the prisoners for the captors
0:11:55 > 0:11:57and those that were made by the prisoners
0:11:57 > 0:12:00for themselves to sell on.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03But both have a significant collecting area.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06So, when you got it home, did you have sisters to taunt with it?
0:12:06 > 0:12:08- I did. I have two. - That'd be good fun.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Stick it in their bed, and things?
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Got played with for a bit.
0:12:12 > 0:12:13Oh, great fun.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Value?
0:12:15 > 0:12:16I don't know.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18£40 to £60?
0:12:18 > 0:12:19- Something like that?- OK.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22- So your £1 investment's done all right.- Not too bad.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24They come in various sizes
0:12:24 > 0:12:26and this is a particularly long one,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28so that's in its favour.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Shall we put a £40 reserve on it?
0:12:30 > 0:12:31That sounds good to me, yeah.
0:12:31 > 0:12:36How Andrew found that for £1, I really don't know.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39I wish I could find those for £1!
0:12:39 > 0:12:40It was a great investment.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42It was a great buy.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46The Turkish prisoner-of-war beadwork snake.
0:12:46 > 0:12:47I'm going to start this at £25.
0:12:47 > 0:12:5125. 30. 5. 40.
0:12:51 > 0:12:5345. 50. 5.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57I'll come to you. 60. 5. 65. 70. 5.
0:12:57 > 0:13:0080. £80 on my left. At 80...
0:13:02 > 0:13:05- 85. 90. 5.- Excellent, Andrew.- 100.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07110.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10120. 120. Standing at 120.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14Anyone else want in at £120?
0:13:14 > 0:13:17- Yes, the hammer's gone down. That's good.- A good result.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21- The condition was very good on that, though.- It was a good, big size.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26- Very good condition. - Excellent condition. Well done, you.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Andrew deserves double the praise.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32You couldn't have wished for a better example
0:13:32 > 0:13:34of prisoner-of-war craftsmanship.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37A great return for a £1 investment!
0:13:41 > 0:13:45Elizabeth was on slightly shakier ground in 2007
0:13:45 > 0:13:48when she caught up with a creature which turned out to be
0:13:48 > 0:13:50remarkably tricky to classify.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55Now, I think this is a tortoise, Beryl. What do you think it is?
0:13:55 > 0:13:56I would have said a turtle.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58- Would you?- Hmm.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00I said tortoise, and Beryl said turtle,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03and to this day, I still think I'm right.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06But Beryl knew the piece far longer than I did
0:14:06 > 0:14:09and I shall bow to her better decision.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11- It was given to my mother. - Right.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14- And when she died, she passed it on to me.- OK.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17She'd been looking after someone that was sick,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20and they gave her that before they died.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23And so she did the same.
0:14:23 > 0:14:24How lovely.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27So he's always been loved and cherished to this point.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30- Can I demonstrate him now? - Oh, yes.- Is that all right?
0:14:30 > 0:14:32If you just touch his head, like this...
0:14:32 > 0:14:33BELL RINGS
0:14:33 > 0:14:35- That's it.- Isn't that great?
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Over the years, I've seen a few novelty table bells
0:14:38 > 0:14:39or shop bells,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42and they come in a variety of guises.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45I have seen pigs and little dogs and things,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48but I don't believe I'd seen a turtle or a tortoise before.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Do you know where this one started life?
0:14:51 > 0:14:53- I think it was in a shop. - In a shop. Yes.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55I think it was.
0:14:55 > 0:14:56A lot of these were.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59I've seen them as pigs and all sorts of things,
0:14:59 > 0:15:01where you actually press the curly tail
0:15:01 > 0:15:03and it makes the bell sound.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05The tortoise ones, or the turtle ones,
0:15:05 > 0:15:06often were found in shops,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09- butcher's or haberdasher's, things like that.- Yes, yes.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11And if we turn him over,
0:15:11 > 0:15:15we'll see that he's very cleverly but very simply made.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18He's made of cast iron
0:15:18 > 0:15:22but he's absolutely pristine and in very genuine condition.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25These bells are much rarer in finer metals
0:15:25 > 0:15:28so bronze are rarer than cast metal,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31and silver ones would be top of the pile, really.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Silver ones are less likely to be found for use in shops
0:15:34 > 0:15:38or public places. They tend to be for the refined environment
0:15:38 > 0:15:40of grand houses or wealthy families.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45I would like to see him make between £80 and £120.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49If you are happy to enter him with that sort of estimate,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52it doesn't sound frightening, but it sounds achievable,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55- and if two people... - Really want him.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57- Yes.- They could keep going.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- That would be lovely.- Is that all right? Can I ring him again?
0:16:00 > 0:16:02BELL RINGS
0:16:04 > 0:16:07I'm sorry, Beryl, but I have to side with Elizabeth.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09I think it's a tortoise.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12But did it make slow progress at the auction,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15or end up winning the race?
0:16:15 > 0:16:17Fingers crossed. It's going under the hammer now.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Fun little lot.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Let's start, what, 30 quid.
0:16:21 > 0:16:2430 I'm bid. 32. 35. 38.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26At 38 now. Done, then, at 38?
0:16:26 > 0:16:28- 40. 42. 45.- Behind me.
0:16:28 > 0:16:3048. 50.
0:16:30 > 0:16:3255. At 55.
0:16:32 > 0:16:3458. 60.
0:16:34 > 0:16:3765. 70. 75.
0:16:37 > 0:16:3980. At 80.
0:16:39 > 0:16:40Sell over here at £80.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43I sell there, at £80. Done at 80...
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Yes. Right at the lower estimate.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50- It has sold, Beryl. - He's hit his clipboard.- Yes.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52That was a little bit of fun, that really was.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54A gorgeous little thing.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Little bells like this are not overly common.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00They're rare enough to be quite an interesting thing
0:17:00 > 0:17:03to seek out and collect, but still accessible
0:17:03 > 0:17:06and, therefore, within a budget of £50 to £80,
0:17:06 > 0:17:11you can pick up some lovely examples at a very reasonable price.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13If you fancy an animal-theme collection,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15that's a fun place to start,
0:17:15 > 0:17:17and at entry-level prices.
0:17:17 > 0:17:18BELL RINGS
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Talking of fun,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24what could be more entertaining than the wacky world of majolica?
0:17:24 > 0:17:29Majolica is fun, funky and so very Victorian.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33The Victorians loved this colourful and hugely decorative ceramic,
0:17:33 > 0:17:37which was often inspired by nature's bounty.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Kate Bliss was lucky enough to come across a great example
0:17:40 > 0:17:42at a valuation day in Bangor.
0:17:44 > 0:17:45That's a family piece.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47It belonged to my great-grandmother
0:17:47 > 0:17:51and she had it and passed it to my grandmother,
0:17:51 > 0:17:53and when my grandmother died,
0:17:53 > 0:17:57my cousins and I were asked to choose things from out of the house,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00and that was my first choice.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03You find animals are used a lot in majolica.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Sadly, I suppose, there is this element of
0:18:05 > 0:18:08the monkey and humanity, if you know what I mean.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12So, it was quite interesting to place a monkey as a finial
0:18:12 > 0:18:14or as a handle or as the feet of something.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17The first thing I will do is just take the lid of carefully
0:18:17 > 0:18:20and have a look at the bottom.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23But we haven't got anything at all on there, have we?
0:18:23 > 0:18:25We can see the little marks where it's stood in the kiln,
0:18:25 > 0:18:29but there's no impressed mark to tell us which factory.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31So, we can see from the quality of it and the moulding
0:18:31 > 0:18:34and the way the glaze has been put on that it is by
0:18:34 > 0:18:36one of the leading factories.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38In the 19th century, there were three factories
0:18:38 > 0:18:41producing this sort of ware - George Jones, Minton
0:18:41 > 0:18:43and the third one was Wedgwood.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45And as it isn't marked,
0:18:45 > 0:18:47it could be one of the three.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Now, my gut feeling is that it's George Jones,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53but we can certainly look at the pattern of it,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55and I'll do further research.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58This particular teapot was made by George Jones.
0:18:58 > 0:18:59It was part of a tea service,
0:18:59 > 0:19:01in simple blue and white.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04They can be much more exuberant with many colours,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07bright turquoise, blues and greens.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10This one was nice because the monkey formed the handle,
0:19:10 > 0:19:15and it's a typical piece of Victorian quirkiness, really.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17Now, one thing that is a shame is the condition,
0:19:17 > 0:19:19and if we take off the lid,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22we can see we've got quite a chunk taken out of the corner.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25The finial is badly cracked, isn't it?
0:19:25 > 0:19:27And we've got a funny little repair here
0:19:27 > 0:19:31to the spout, which is, of course, a very vulnerable piece.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Tell me about that. Did you know that had been repaired?
0:19:34 > 0:19:36Well, I believe it was done in the 1920s
0:19:36 > 0:19:38- by a local blacksmith.- Oh, right.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41- He's just soldered on a spout.- Yes.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44I believe that was a usual repair that the blacksmith did.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Damage, of course, is important when you're collecting something,
0:19:47 > 0:19:50but there are some areas, and majolica is one of them,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53where collectors will be a little bit lenient,
0:19:53 > 0:19:54particularly if it's a rare shape.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57I think, even in this condition, you're going to be talking
0:19:57 > 0:19:59a significant amount at auction.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02I'm going to put a conservative estimate of £200 to £300.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04- Gosh.- What do you think about that?
0:20:04 > 0:20:06I think that's very nice, yes.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10I think the monkey might attract quite a few people.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Kate wasn't wrong about the appeal of the monkey,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19but nothing could have prepared Graham and Lesley
0:20:19 > 0:20:22for what unfolded once the bidding commenced.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24200 I'm bid. £200.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Straight in at 200.
0:20:27 > 0:20:28£300.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30- £400.- Mmm...
0:20:30 > 0:20:32£500.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35£600. £700.
0:20:35 > 0:20:36£800.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40After smashing the estimate,
0:20:40 > 0:20:42it kept climbing higher and higher.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44£1,700.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46I can't believe it.
0:20:46 > 0:20:47£1,800.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49£1,900.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51£2,000.
0:20:52 > 0:20:552,100.
0:20:55 > 0:20:56You've gone, have you?
0:20:56 > 0:20:58£2,100. £2,200.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01I can't believe it.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03£2,300.
0:21:03 > 0:21:04£2,400.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09- I can feel you shaking.- £2,400.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13£2,400. Anybody else in the room wants to come in?
0:21:14 > 0:21:17What do you think about that? Bang! There it goes.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:21:20 > 0:21:22Well done, Kate.
0:21:22 > 0:21:23Well done.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Well done. £2,400.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29There's a tear in your eye. Look at this, he's crying.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33- Wonderful.- That was fantastic.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35- I can't believe it.- 2,400.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40It's moments like that that live long in the memory.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43The teapot did so well because the majolica market
0:21:43 > 0:21:46was particularly buoyant at that point.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48And timing is key.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Prices rise and fall in the world of antiques,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55so take advice from your local auction house.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59If it's a bad time to sell, keep hold of your item for another day.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03When it comes to collecting animal-themed antiques,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06always examine the workmanship
0:22:06 > 0:22:10and look for finely executed decoration and good condition.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14But in the end, it comes down to horses for courses,
0:22:14 > 0:22:15so to speak.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Go for what appeals to YOU.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19If you fall in love with something,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22just enjoy it for what it is.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25That is until the next piece catches your eye.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36At our valuation days, we often see beautiful artwork
0:22:36 > 0:22:38that's been inspired by nature
0:22:38 > 0:22:41and in 2012, I had the privilege of finding about
0:22:41 > 0:22:45one of our country's more intriguing 19th-century artists.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49An artist who is better known for his poetry.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea...
0:22:53 > 0:22:55In a beautiful pea-green boat...
0:22:55 > 0:22:57They took some honey, and plenty of money...
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Wrapped up in a five-pound note.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03The Owl And The Pussy-Cat is one of the world's most famous
0:23:03 > 0:23:04and best-loved children's poems,
0:23:04 > 0:23:08and it's brought its author Edward Lear fame and fortune.
0:23:08 > 0:23:09His limericks and nonsense poems
0:23:09 > 0:23:12have secured his place in literary history,
0:23:12 > 0:23:13however, as a young man,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16he had a very different plan for his future.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18He was an extremely talented artist,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21and an animal-lover, so there was only one place he could come to work,
0:23:21 > 0:23:25and that was right here at the newly opened zoological gardens,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27and he began his career painting parrots.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29Hi, guys!
0:23:49 > 0:23:51London Zoo was established in 1826
0:23:51 > 0:23:53for the scientific study of animals,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56and as photography had yet to be invented,
0:23:56 > 0:24:00the zoo employed artists to document their growing collection
0:24:00 > 0:24:04of exotic wildlife that was arriving on a weekly basis.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12And amongst these daubers was a very young Edward Lear,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14with brush in hand.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17He was eager to show off his artistic skills.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19He spent two years here at the zoo,
0:24:19 > 0:24:20sketching and painting parrots,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23and, uniquely, many of them were drawn from life.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26What he would do is actually get inside the aviary,
0:24:26 > 0:24:28this very aviary, and join them,
0:24:28 > 0:24:30and paint them and sketch them.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32In 1832, Lear published the results,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Illustrations Of The Family Of The Psittacidae,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38containing 42 lithographs
0:24:38 > 0:24:40hand-coloured by Lear himself.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42It immediately secured him
0:24:42 > 0:24:46a reputation as a supremely talented ornithological draughtsman.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51175 books were made, of which about 100 survive today,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54and one of them is here in the zoo's archive.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57I'm meeting up with natural history artist Rebecca Jewell
0:24:57 > 0:24:59to take a closer look at it.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08They are exceptionally good.
0:25:08 > 0:25:09They are.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12I'm not a bird expert, but that looks real.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Well, it is. It's absolutely stunning
0:25:15 > 0:25:17and I think what makes Lear stand out
0:25:17 > 0:25:19as bird artist
0:25:19 > 0:25:23is that he did many of his...well, most of his drawings from life,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26- so he went to London Zoo... - Inside the aviary, basically,
0:25:26 > 0:25:30- with the birds.- ..and he was sketching from the live birds
0:25:30 > 0:25:32and he did many, many sketches.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34There's a lot of work that's gone into that.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37He would have drawn with the pencil
0:25:37 > 0:25:39and then done layers of watercolour,
0:25:39 > 0:25:42probably with gum arabic in it, which is...
0:25:42 > 0:25:45OK. Which is like a glue with colour.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49- And it gives it this beautiful luminescence.- Hmm.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51And rich, rich colours.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54It's just beautiful. Can you turn a page?
0:25:54 > 0:25:56Can we see some more?
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Is there a big difference between drawing these birds
0:25:59 > 0:26:03when they're living and when they're dead?
0:26:03 > 0:26:05It's easier to draw something dead.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07If you compare him to, say, Audubon,
0:26:07 > 0:26:09who was the equivalent,
0:26:09 > 0:26:11absolutely amazing artist,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13in America drawing birds,
0:26:13 > 0:26:15he did sketch out in life,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17in the field,
0:26:17 > 0:26:19but he then shot his birds
0:26:19 > 0:26:21and he strung them up and put wire in them
0:26:21 > 0:26:25and so his birds are slightly more constructed
0:26:25 > 0:26:30- and angular.- And awkward looking. - Yes. They're still beautiful
0:26:30 > 0:26:32but the thing about Lear is,
0:26:32 > 0:26:36he was recording the parrots scientifically, correctly.
0:26:36 > 0:26:41My eyes are gazing over towards that eagle owl. It's an eagle owl, yeah.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44But you can see the expression on the face now.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48You can see where Lear would develop his characters from, can't you?
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Yeah, absolutely.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52And Lear adored owls...
0:26:52 > 0:26:53He thought he was one!
0:26:53 > 0:26:58He did, yeah. He often did a caricature of himself as an owl.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00This is just absolutely fabulous,
0:27:00 > 0:27:02- the detail...- Hmm.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04..the speckling,
0:27:04 > 0:27:06the colours of the feathers.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14Sadly, due to failing eyesight and lack of financial success,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Lear gave up bird painting in his mid-20s
0:27:16 > 0:27:19but he never gave up his love for birds.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23They're a theme all of his nonsense poems and his sketches
0:27:23 > 0:27:25and he often caricatured himself as an owl
0:27:25 > 0:27:28so perhaps there is more to his famous poem after all.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32# And hand-in-hand On the edge of the sand
0:27:32 > 0:27:34# They danced By the light of the moon
0:27:34 > 0:27:35# The moon The moon
0:27:35 > 0:27:38# They danced By the light of the moon. #
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Animal collectables are such good fun,
0:27:51 > 0:27:55it's hardly surprising that they never go out of fashion.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57And with a huge variety of things out there,
0:27:57 > 0:28:00you don't have to spend too much to start a collection.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04Dogs, cats, pigs and horses are all popular subjects
0:28:04 > 0:28:06but rarity adds value
0:28:06 > 0:28:10so it is also worth looking out for pieces featuring more unusual breeds.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17So, if you have any antiques and collectables that need re-homing,
0:28:17 > 0:28:20well, then I hope you come and see us at one of our valuation days.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24That's it for today's show, join me again soon for more Trade Secrets.