0:00:09 > 0:00:11One of the things I love about "Flog It!"
0:00:11 > 0:00:14is seeing and hearing about the thousands of interesting,
0:00:14 > 0:00:17beautiful and sometimes valuable items
0:00:17 > 0:00:20you bring along to our valuation days.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Tell me the history. Where did you find it?
0:00:22 > 0:00:24In a junk shop in Chingford.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28- Where has it been for the last few years?- In a drawer upstairs.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Over the years, we've made hundreds of trips
0:00:30 > 0:00:32to auction rooms all over the British Isles,
0:00:32 > 0:00:36putting our experts' valuations to the test.
0:00:36 > 0:00:377,000.
0:00:37 > 0:00:387,001.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42This is what auctions are all about. When it goes like this...
0:00:42 > 0:00:44- £7,600.- Yes!
0:00:44 > 0:00:45£7,600.
0:00:45 > 0:00:46APPLAUSE
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Now, in this series I want to share some of the knowledge
0:00:51 > 0:00:55we have picked up with you to let you in on some of our trade secrets.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28'Throughout the centuries the natural world has provided
0:01:28 > 0:01:32'the impetus for all kinds of creative endeavour.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36'And as a result, our valuation days almost always include several
0:01:36 > 0:01:38'objects decorated with animal or plant motifs.'
0:01:41 > 0:01:44So in today's programme, we're going to be looking at antiques
0:01:44 > 0:01:48and collectables that have found their inspiration from the wonders of Mother Nature.
0:01:51 > 0:01:52'Coming up on the show,
0:01:52 > 0:01:55'we're bowled over by your collectables
0:01:55 > 0:01:57'that have been inspired by nature.'
0:01:57 > 0:02:00You've put a smile on my face today.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03It's time to start clearing some junk out.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Junk?! Throw it my way!
0:02:06 > 0:02:09'Thomas shares his tricks of the trade.'
0:02:09 > 0:02:10It sinks.
0:02:13 > 0:02:14The other floats.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18'And I learn more about a gem with a fascinating past...'
0:02:18 > 0:02:22People like them because they are a contact with pre-history.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24'..and a promising future.'
0:02:24 > 0:02:27It is literally worth its weight in gold.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35As a predominantly urban society,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38we have always tended to bring nature into our homes.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Not just real plants and flowers, but objects, and designs too,
0:02:41 > 0:02:45that reflect the organic forms of Mother Nature.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49There is a lot to choose from, so what deserves a closer look?
0:02:53 > 0:02:57Nature inspires the human mind.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00It inspires the artists and craftsmen
0:03:00 > 0:03:03and we see it everywhere in their work.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05You are in luck, really, because there is so much out there,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09isn't there? You think of William Morris.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13I think of William Kent-style side tables with lion's masks
0:03:13 > 0:03:17and ball and claw feet. You can practically hear them roar.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21Probably the greatest period that used it was the Art Nouveau period,
0:03:21 > 0:03:23where you have this wonderful,
0:03:23 > 0:03:27sinuous plant design and that's very collectable.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29If you're not inspired by nature,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32I think there's something severely wrong with you.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39It is a constant delight on "Flog It!" valuation days to see
0:03:39 > 0:03:42so many objects that are inspired by nature.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44Artists the world over have celebrated
0:03:44 > 0:03:48the beauty of the natural world for centuries.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51And in Japan, it's been going on since ancient times.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57And you won't just find nature in fine art.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02It can turn up in everyday objects too, as James Lewis discovered.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04When I first saw these, I thought
0:04:04 > 0:04:06they were just a standard string of beads,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10but they are actually a lot more interesting than that, aren't they?
0:04:10 > 0:04:13Well, so I believe. I've been told that they may be Japanese.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Ojime are tiny little beads,
0:04:17 > 0:04:21normally either cylindrical or spherical,
0:04:21 > 0:04:25but they come in squares and rectangles and different forms.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27The ones that we saw, I have never seen anything like it.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30A whole string of beads like a necklace.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34Each one of these would never have been anywhere near the others.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37They are normally made from bronze and they are part of a Japanese dress
0:04:37 > 0:04:42because, of course, in a kimono, you don't have pockets.
0:04:42 > 0:04:49That's a very plain ojime bead, there. And this is known as an inro.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54And this bead could go down to hold the pieces in place,
0:04:54 > 0:04:56to stop them falling apart, like that, and at the top
0:04:56 > 0:04:58would be a toggle called the netsuke
0:04:58 > 0:05:00that we have seen a lot of times on "Flog It!".
0:05:00 > 0:05:03That's basically the use of it.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06These are all individually cast out of bronze.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Some have got little silver flowers on them.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13So they are all wonderful little individual works of art.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16There we go - there is a little frog on that one.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- Super, aren't they?- They're lovely.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21I love looking at them,
0:05:21 > 0:05:23but it's time to start clearing some junk out.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Junk! Throw it my way.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Because I think these are great.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33We have four commission bids and a telephone bid.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37I shall start the bidding at...
0:05:37 > 0:05:41- £450.- Ooh!- Is there 470 in the room?
0:05:41 > 0:05:46470. Commission bid is out. 470 in the room. 500.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48500. 520.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51550. 570.
0:05:53 > 0:05:59- 600.- It's incredible. - And 20. 650. 670.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03700.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06- And 20.- 720 quid!- At £720.
0:06:06 > 0:06:07GAVEL BANGS
0:06:07 > 0:06:12- Bang! That is a big sold sound. £720, Janet.- Wonderful!
0:06:16 > 0:06:19With such a strong Oriental market, I wouldn't be surprised
0:06:19 > 0:06:22if some of those phone bids weren't international.
0:06:22 > 0:06:27I would like to think that Janet's nature-inspired ojime beads
0:06:27 > 0:06:30made it back to Japan.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34Artistic interpretations of nature can be found in the earliest
0:06:34 > 0:06:36of cultures and the most recent.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40The dawn of the 20th century saw the flowering of Art Nouveau,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43with its desire to bring natural forms into art.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48This was famously interpreted in ceramics by William Moorcroft,
0:06:48 > 0:06:52whose organic designs flowed over the curves of his pots.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56It also inspired Morris Ware,
0:06:56 > 0:07:00which was developed in 1918 by George Cartlidge,
0:07:00 > 0:07:04and Catherine Southon was quick to spot one of his collectable pieces.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Now, when I first saw you,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11you said, "This is a piece of Moorcroft that I have got."
0:07:11 > 0:07:13But it is actually Morris Ware.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16They do look very similar.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20But Morris Ware was actually produced over a much shorter
0:07:20 > 0:07:21period of time.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24It is actually stamped here "Morris Ware",
0:07:24 > 0:07:27which is a type of style that was done by Hancock & Sons.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31This particular piece will date to probably early 20th century,
0:07:31 > 0:07:33sort of 1910, something like that.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36I don't know if you can see, but that is actually the signature
0:07:36 > 0:07:39there of the designer, which was George Cartlidge.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43It is a really beautiful piece. I just love the colours.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Wonderful stylised tulip design.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50It is very much in keeping with sort of Arts and Crafts and William Morris.
0:07:50 > 0:07:56One of the most popular motifs of Morris Ware was the tulip pattern
0:07:56 > 0:07:58and I think because it was so simple,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00it was so stylised,
0:08:00 > 0:08:04and I think the way that it's actually used, these red, vibrant
0:08:04 > 0:08:09colours, that is probably one of the reasons that makes it so popular.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Why do you want to sell such a lovely item?
0:08:11 > 0:08:14I don't want to take it with me because of a breakage or...
0:08:14 > 0:08:18- Because I'm going away. - Right. Where are you going? - I'm going to Sri Lanka.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22- Not something that you want to take with you.- No. - It can break very easily.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25I would probably put an estimate on of about £300-£400,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28but I really hope that there are a lot of people like me in the
0:08:28 > 0:08:32crowd at the auction that just go mad for it and it makes a lot more.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38500 I'm bid, then. 500 bid.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43520. 550 bid. 580, is it? 580.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45600 we're bid now.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49It's like a game of Ping-Pong, isn't it? Backwards and forwards.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51- Come on.- This is getting exciting. - At 620...
0:08:51 > 0:08:54650. Give them time.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59No? At 650. 650. 680, I've got it.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03- 680 is left.- He's missing a bid over here.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06At 720 I am bid. 750...
0:09:08 > 0:09:13780... At 780, on the right. £780, then. I'm selling in the room.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17- 780, it's going. 790.- That's fantastic.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21- That is a lot more than what you were expecting.- Yes.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24So look out for the name George Cartlidge.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26His richly coloured designs,
0:09:26 > 0:09:31which formed the core of the Morris Ware range, are highly sought-after.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38At the end of the 19th century,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41another movement was emerging in Cornwall.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44The Newlyn School was a colony of artists who
0:09:44 > 0:09:49settled near Penzance, taking advantage of the fantastic
0:09:49 > 0:09:51light and rugged beauty of their surroundings.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56As Antonia discovered, it's a subject close to my heart.
0:09:57 > 0:09:58I absolutely love this.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01You have brought this to the right guy as well
0:10:01 > 0:10:04because I am from Cornwall and I just love the Newlyn School.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07I really do. I think it's one of the best art movements.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09Right, let's start with Lamorna Birch.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Really, his name is Samuel John Birch, OK?
0:10:12 > 0:10:15He is born in Cheshire and he is really known as a northern artist,
0:10:15 > 0:10:16but he did move to Cornwall.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Which is where he did some of his best work.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23Something auctioneer Claire Rawle was quick to spot.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26The light in it, the quality, the impressionistic style,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29was beautiful because I have sold a few of his in the past and they
0:10:29 > 0:10:33tended to be rather sombre woodland views, but this was just delightful.
0:10:33 > 0:10:38- Really, he adopted the name Lamorna after Lamorna Cove.- Oh, right.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40It's a beautiful little spot in Cornwall.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44- And it is signed in the corner. - Yes, it is.- SJ Lamorna Birch.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48There you are. Samuel John Lamorna Birch. It's absolutely beautiful.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50I personally like this a lot.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53I'd like to put it into auction with a value of £300-£500
0:10:53 > 0:10:56- with a fixed reserve at £300. - Well, that sounds wonderful.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59- So you won't get a penny less. - Yes, well, thank you so much.- OK?
0:10:59 > 0:11:00You've put a smile on my face today.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02As we ran up to the sale,
0:11:02 > 0:11:04I had a feeling it was going to do quite well.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06I was really hoping it would.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12Unfortunately, Antonia was unable to join us for the auction day.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14She didn't see the packed house
0:11:14 > 0:11:18- and the expectant bidders waiting on the phones.- 420 on the telephone.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20- 450.- Good. We have got a phone bid.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24- We've got interest in the room. - 480. 500.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26520. 550.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29580. 600.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31- This is great.- 620. 650.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36- At 650, the bid still in the room at 650.- Top money for his work.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40At £650, then. You all sure? Selling, then, at £650.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42I'm very pleased with that.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46£650, the hammer has gone down. Antonia, enjoy this moment.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49That was good money and it was a lovely painting.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53It was the sort of thing I would love to have had on my wall. Absolutely lovely.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56And you are not the only one, Claire.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00Paintings from the Newlyn School do fetch large sums of money at auction.
0:12:00 > 0:12:06But many are still proudly kept on the walls of local Cornish families.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Some of these were originally used by the artists as payment
0:12:09 > 0:12:11for board and lodging.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Not a bad exchange, as it turns out!
0:12:16 > 0:12:20Now, from the southwest to the far north.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Wemyss Ware, famous for its free-flowing hand-painting,
0:12:23 > 0:12:27was born in Scotland in 1882
0:12:27 > 0:12:32and this unusual set, featuring an earthy profusion of nature's harvest,
0:12:32 > 0:12:34caught the eye of Thomas Plant.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38Wemyss is so collectable.
0:12:38 > 0:12:43I mean, because it has got this Scottish pull, and anything Scottish
0:12:43 > 0:12:49goes back home, and this dressing table set was really special.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53- Where has it come from?- Originally it was from my grandmother's house.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57- It was on display there for many years.- It is great.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59I mean, it's a lovely, lovely set.
0:12:59 > 0:13:00You are missing one item.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04- Yes.- Which is the cover to the buckets, the water bucket here.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06This dressing table set was so unusual.
0:13:06 > 0:13:11I've not seen the like before or since this filming.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15The black ground and the grape and the vine design.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18They are very bacchanalian, really.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22On here we've got the Wemyss stamp, and this T Goode & Co, London.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Now, that is the retailer.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30- I would like to put this in at about £400-£600 for the set.- Right.
0:13:30 > 0:13:35- How does that grab you? - Yes, that's lovely.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38They'd really looked after it, so it was in brilliant condition,
0:13:38 > 0:13:40so that's why it made so much money.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Wemyss, rare, perfect.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45320 I'm bid for it. 350 bid.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47380 bid, £100 bid.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49420 I'm bid. 450.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51480, 500.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54A rapid climb.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58700...and 50. 800 and 50.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00- 900.- I love these moments.
0:14:00 > 0:14:021,050, no?
0:14:02 > 0:14:041,050 I'm bid for it.
0:14:04 > 0:14:061,050.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10- £1,100.- Come on.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12- At £1,100. - It's quite comical, isn't it?
0:14:12 > 0:14:14At £1,100.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16For £1,100.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19- Thank you.- Debbie, it's gone. 1,100. Hammer's gone down.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22- Fantastic.- That's great, isn't it?
0:14:22 > 0:14:24- Twice what you were expecting.- Yes.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Wemyss Ware has to be the most highly collectable
0:14:30 > 0:14:33and sought-after Scottish pottery.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37I was confident that set would smash Thomas' conservative estimate.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39A great result for Debbie.
0:14:39 > 0:14:44The most collectable pieces of Wemyss are pigs, cats, thistles...
0:14:44 > 0:14:47Anything really Scottish, really, makes it very collectable.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Of course, this dressing table set or toilet set...
0:14:50 > 0:14:53it was its rarity value, the background
0:14:53 > 0:14:55and having something unusual to it.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00If a piece of Art Nouveau pottery appeals,
0:15:00 > 0:15:04bear in mind that for both Moorcroft and Morris Ware,
0:15:04 > 0:15:08simple but stylistically interesting flower patterns are more
0:15:08 > 0:15:12collectable. Look out for designs that feature tulips or lilies.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Some Newlyn School artists are more desirable than others.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20One of the greatest is Walter Langley,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23the first of the painters to settle in the town.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26But do your research and see which artist's style appeals.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Before you know it, you might own a work that really captures
0:15:30 > 0:15:34something special about the great Cornish outdoors.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52There are many ways in which nature has inspired
0:15:52 > 0:15:55the makers of beautiful things.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59Take these two 17th-century Italian collector's cabinets on stands,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02for instance. They were the height of fashion
0:16:02 > 0:16:04for the connoisseur back in the 1680s,
0:16:04 > 0:16:09but it's not the construction we're interested in. It's the artwork.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11The cabinets themselves are constructed of mahogany,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14which has been ebonised so it looks like it's a dark black,
0:16:14 > 0:16:17which contrasts beautifully with the gilding that picks out
0:16:17 > 0:16:20all the mouldings and the architectural detail.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23But it's the exotic birds that we're interested in.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25This technique is known as pietra dura,
0:16:25 > 0:16:29which literally translates from Italian meaning "hard stone".
0:16:29 > 0:16:33What you have here is a craftsman at the very top of his genre.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37It looks like these birds have been painted on, but they're not.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39This has been inset into the wood...
0:16:39 > 0:16:41with little pieces of stone.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45You've got agate, quartzes, jaspers, marbles, granites.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49You've even got fossilised petrified wood.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54In fact, all of these stones have such varying degrees of hew,
0:16:54 > 0:16:57you have an almost limitless supply of colour.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00Now, that is the beautiful thing about it.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03This technique was around in Rome in the early 16th century,
0:17:03 > 0:17:05but it flourished in Florence towards the end of the 1600s,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08where these cabinets were made.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Circa 1680.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13This is one of the nicest cabinets I've ever come across in my life.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Not only has it got architectural proportion and detail
0:17:16 > 0:17:19but it is so decorative and it's all down to nature.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27Look at that lovely bluebell wood.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29'When you come to our valuation days across the country,
0:17:29 > 0:17:34'sometimes the items you bring aren't just inspired by nature...
0:17:34 > 0:17:36'they are formed by nature itself.'
0:17:38 > 0:17:41Ooh, look at that. Wonderful amber necklace.
0:17:41 > 0:17:46This is timeless. This is amber and it's millions of years old.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Let's see what it looks like. Shall we put it on?
0:17:48 > 0:17:52Yes, there we go. Look at that.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57Amber is one of these magical mystery stones.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59It's from nature, carved by man.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Amber is actually fossilised tree resin
0:18:04 > 0:18:07which oozed out of the cracks in the bark millions of years ago.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12It was used for decoration in the Stone Age...
0:18:12 > 0:18:16and has been transformed into jewellery for thousands of years.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Although most of the world's amber comes from the Baltic
0:18:19 > 0:18:22regions of northern Europe...
0:18:22 > 0:18:24it can also be washed up on the British coast,
0:18:24 > 0:18:26including the beaches of Suffolk.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31And it was there, in Southwold, that I visited the Amber Museum
0:18:31 > 0:18:35back in 2004 to chat to the owner, Robin Fournal.
0:18:38 > 0:18:39Look at this crown.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43Well, it's probably the most popular piece in the museum.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45Everybody mentions it.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49It's beautiful. It was made in about 1920.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52This is actually insured for £20,000,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55but it is... It's a wonderful piece.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58There are many factors affecting the value of amber...
0:18:58 > 0:19:01including the presence of animal life inside.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07As a sticky resin, it often trapped insects and other organic matter,
0:19:07 > 0:19:11and these pieces are especially sought-after.
0:19:11 > 0:19:12This is a stunning piece
0:19:12 > 0:19:15because the insect is quite large.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18The smaller insects were the ones that usually got trapped
0:19:18 > 0:19:21because the bigger ones could usually fight their way free.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24- Yeah, or lose a leg. - BOTH LAUGH
0:19:24 > 0:19:27That's about 50 million years old.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31That has been identified by the Natural History Museum in London.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34And people like them because they are a contact with pre-history.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36Before man walked the Earth,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39some of these tiny insects were trapped in the amber.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Amber is a wonderful substance.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45It's got a warmth and a quality about it.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47But be careful.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50There's an awful lot of stuff about on the market today that's
0:19:50 > 0:19:53modern and they push interesting insects and things into it,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56so be careful if you're buying it as an investment.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58There are many forms of imitation,
0:19:58 > 0:20:02with fakes being made out of anything from glass to plastic.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05It can be very hard to distinguish the real deal,
0:20:05 > 0:20:07but Thomas Plant has a handy trick to share.
0:20:09 > 0:20:14What I have here are two amber coloured beads.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17It could be plastic. It could be amber.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19How does one tell the difference?
0:20:19 > 0:20:22The easiest way is to use this cola
0:20:22 > 0:20:24and drop one in.
0:20:24 > 0:20:25It sinks.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29The other floats.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32The one which floats is amber.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35The cola is the same consistency to sea water
0:20:35 > 0:20:38and amber floats on sea water,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41and therefore all amber floats in cola.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46And if you're fortunate enough to own a piece of genuine amber,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49there's some good news.
0:20:49 > 0:20:54We have seen the price of amber rise dramatically within the salerooms...
0:20:54 > 0:20:58and it is literally worth its weight in gold.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02So with the market clearly on the up,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04what should you bear in mind?
0:21:05 > 0:21:08Large, completely clear pieces are very collectable.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14But amber containing ancient bugs is very sought-after too.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19This rare necklace with a collection of mosquitoes, ants and spiders
0:21:19 > 0:21:25encased inside each bead recently sold at auction for £11,500.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30But watch out for imitations.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Buy from reputable sources
0:21:33 > 0:21:36and check with your local auction house for advice.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38If you follow these tips,
0:21:38 > 0:21:42you could soon have in your hand nature's very own time capsule.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51An item that we frequently see on the show is treen, small
0:21:51 > 0:21:55household objects that have been turned out of wood.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Now, normally these wonderful little items
0:21:57 > 0:21:59are made from fruit woods grown
0:21:59 > 0:22:01here in this country, but every now and then
0:22:01 > 0:22:06they turn up with exotic hardwoods from overseas, and I love them all.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10You've made my day. You really have made my day.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12This is absolutely stunning.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16- Collectors really go for these. - Oh, good.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19So, how do these exotic hardwoods find their way to our shores?
0:22:19 > 0:22:22And how do you identify them all?
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Well, expert David Fletcher shares my passion for all things wooden
0:22:25 > 0:22:27and he went to investigate.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31David's meeting Adam Bowett, a friend and wood historian,
0:22:31 > 0:22:33at Tennant's Auction Rooms in Leyburn...
0:22:35 > 0:22:38..where they're at a preview day for a furniture sale.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45It can be extremely difficult to identify wood.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48I hope we're going to crack some of the conundrums today
0:22:48 > 0:22:49and make it easier for people,
0:22:49 > 0:22:51but it is difficult. But it's important that we know.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56Any piece of furniture is more than itself.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59It's more than somewhere where you hang your clothes.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01It's more than somewhere where you write your letters.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03It tells us about the people who made it.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05It tells us about the time it was made.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09What's going on in the world at that time and how interesting is that?
0:23:15 > 0:23:19We start here with a piece of oak furniture.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23Now, oak, for many people, is typically English, isn't it?
0:23:23 > 0:23:25What can you tell me about this?
0:23:25 > 0:23:29Well, oak is really the default wood for any British furniture maker
0:23:29 > 0:23:31because it's a great all-rounder.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34It's commonly available. It's relatively cheap.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37We can tell where this chest comes from
0:23:37 > 0:23:41because it's of a style associated with the Lancashire Pennines
0:23:41 > 0:23:43and, actually, this one is dated.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45So, we've got the owner's initials here, IB,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48and then the date, 1706.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51If we look inside, the first thing you notice is that it's very
0:23:51 > 0:23:53dark, and that's because it's high in tannin.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56The second thing is that the grain is very wild.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58And you can bet that the joiner only used this
0:23:58 > 0:24:01- because he didn't have any choice. - So, what you're saying, really,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04is although this is quintessentially English,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07the maker is making the best of a bad job, really.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10In a sense, yes, because he wouldn't use this wood
0:24:10 > 0:24:12if he could get anything better.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16At the same time as these more primitive pieces were being made,
0:24:16 > 0:24:17for those with deeper pockets,
0:24:17 > 0:24:21oak was being used in quite a different fashion -
0:24:21 > 0:24:24as a carcass for a more expensive veneer.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27You use a good, stable wood like oak
0:24:27 > 0:24:30and you lay the veneers onto it, which is what they've done here.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32- And this is walnut? - Yeah, absolutely.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35This is figured walnut. What you've got is a...
0:24:35 > 0:24:39a sort of a pale brown ground with the smoky dark grey streaks
0:24:39 > 0:24:41running through it.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Almost certainly at this stage, we're thinking about 1700.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47This is going to be imported from France.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49And this is a gentlemen's piece of furniture.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Yes, absolutely. I mean, this is quite an expensive object,
0:24:52 > 0:24:57probably between £10 and £12 in 1700, something like that.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02100 years later, it was a gentlemen
0:25:02 > 0:25:04of an entirely different sort who was
0:25:04 > 0:25:06responsible for a new species of wood
0:25:06 > 0:25:09arriving at these shores - Napoleon.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12It's rosewood.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Nothing to do with roses, of course, but nevertheless called rosewood.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19That's right. This is a Brazilian hardwood.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21It has a deep purple-ish brown heartwood
0:25:21 > 0:25:26and then you get this very strong, very black, marking in it...
0:25:26 > 0:25:29and it's really almost unmistakable.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33And it suddenly arrives in Britain at the beginning of the 19th century
0:25:33 > 0:25:38and becomes the quintessential Regency and early Victorian wood.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41And, really, if there's one person we have to
0:25:41 > 0:25:44thank for the advent of this wood, it's Napoleon Bonaparte.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48Until the early 19th century, Brazil was a Portuguese colony
0:25:48 > 0:25:51and nobody could trade with Brazil except the Portuguese.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53But when Napoleon invaded Spain and Portugal,
0:25:53 > 0:25:55the British, in return for military help,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58extracted a concession from the Portuguese,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00which was that they would allow British ships to Brazil,
0:26:00 > 0:26:02so we brought back wood.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07World events were also responsible for introducing the defining
0:26:07 > 0:26:13wood of English furniture making in the 18th and 19th centuries.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Mahogany was a product of colonisation
0:26:16 > 0:26:18and of the infamous triangular trade.
0:26:18 > 0:26:23Under terrible conditions, enslaved Africans in Jamaica harvested
0:26:23 > 0:26:27the wood to satisfy the high demand in Europe.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33When do we first find mahogany in English cabinet making?
0:26:33 > 0:26:36It begins to come in in the 1720s,
0:26:36 > 0:26:40and from that period on to the 20th century,
0:26:40 > 0:26:44it was not only Britain, but probably the world's cabinet wood.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46What would this have cost?
0:26:46 > 0:26:49When this was made, probably around £25, £30.
0:26:49 > 0:26:50Certainly, you know,
0:26:50 > 0:26:54perfectly affordable for a middle-class professional.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58But if you are looking to invest in a piece of antique furniture today,
0:26:58 > 0:27:00here's a tip from David.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02It's all down to quality,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05so you might find a fine quality piece of mahogany furniture
0:27:05 > 0:27:08and you might find an indifferent piece of rosewood furniture,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11so look for quality. But if you can identify your timbers,
0:27:11 > 0:27:13this can make it easier for you to make that quality judgment.
0:27:15 > 0:27:20Why not take David's advice and be brave? Visit the salerooms.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Antique wood furniture is generally better quality than new
0:27:23 > 0:27:25pieces on the high street.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27It can be picked up for a reasonable sum
0:27:27 > 0:27:32and you could be buying yourself a slice of British history.
0:27:39 > 0:27:40Bang!
0:27:41 > 0:27:42I love it!
0:27:42 > 0:27:44Thank you!
0:27:44 > 0:27:47'The natural world will always be a catalyst for creativity,
0:27:47 > 0:27:48'and thank goodness for that,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51'because the results have been brightening up
0:27:51 > 0:27:53'our valuation days for years now.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58'If it's an area of collecting that holds a particular
0:27:58 > 0:28:00'appeal for you, you'll soon discover
0:28:00 > 0:28:03'there are plenty to choose from.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06'Pieces displaying the simplest yet stylish patterns of the
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Art Nouveau period tend to be a good investment.'
0:28:11 > 0:28:15- At 780, it's going for... - That's fantastic.- ..£780, then.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20'But of course nature is a source of inspiration in all cultures,
0:28:20 > 0:28:24'so do look out for collectables from beyond our own shores.'
0:28:27 > 0:28:28That's it for today's show.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31Join me again soon for more Trade Secrets.