0:00:04 > 0:00:07For well over a decade now, "Flog It!" has offered you
0:00:07 > 0:00:10the chance to have your antiques and collectables valued
0:00:10 > 0:00:13and sold in auction rooms all over the British Isles,
0:00:13 > 0:00:16and sometimes for a great deal of money.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19£2,400, anybody else in the room want to come in?
0:00:19 > 0:00:20GAVEL BANGS
0:00:20 > 0:00:24What d'you think about that? Bang! There it goes. Yeah!
0:00:24 > 0:00:27And during that time, we have all learned a great deal about the world
0:00:27 > 0:00:32of fine art and antiques, that we, as a nation, cannot get enough of.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34So today, I want to share some of that knowledge with you.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38So stand by to hear some more trade secrets.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08Before the era of mass production,
0:01:08 > 0:01:11skilled artisans spent long hours
0:01:11 > 0:01:14creating all kinds of beautiful objects by hand
0:01:14 > 0:01:18and it's the breathtaking quality of their exquisite craftsmanship
0:01:18 > 0:01:20that makes their work stand out.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25So today, we are celebrating all the handmade items
0:01:25 > 0:01:28that light up the "Flog It!" valuation days.
0:01:28 > 0:01:34I absolutely love this wonderful, big pot.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Oh, that makes two of us.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38BOTH LAUGH
0:01:38 > 0:01:41In a truly tailor-made show, James is blown away
0:01:41 > 0:01:45by the British craftsmanship at its very best.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49No, no, no, this isn't an everyday scent bottle you have.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Just look at the quality there of these individually
0:01:53 > 0:01:55hand-cut flower heads.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59A rare pair of handmade delights exceeds everyone's expectations...
0:02:01 > 0:02:06- £2,600! Even I am sitting down now. - Absolutely amazing!
0:02:07 > 0:02:09And Thomas goes back to his birthplace
0:02:09 > 0:02:12to unearth the story of a true visionary.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16He enjoyed potting so much he made some great errors
0:02:16 > 0:02:18but also made some great glazes.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Many of the great names in British antiques have stayed true
0:02:27 > 0:02:31to the art of making things by hand - hand-painted ceramics,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34hand-carved stone, handmade furniture.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37We see a lot of these items at a "Flog It!" valuation day.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42But the ones that stand out are those with a great name attached.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47Items made by the studios,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50by artists and craftsmen
0:02:50 > 0:02:54are more valuable in the market today
0:02:54 > 0:02:57because each of these pieces is unique.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Names are better to collect because if you've got somebody
0:03:02 > 0:03:04that's popular today, rather than an amateur,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07the likelihood is it will be collectable in the future.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12Most people that have a skill and hand-make objects
0:03:12 > 0:03:16are proud enough to put their name to the object.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19One thinks perhaps of Robert Thompson - Mouseman -
0:03:19 > 0:03:21who put a little mouse on his pieces of furniture.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25So, of course, it helps to have a recognised name
0:03:25 > 0:03:27to anything that's handmade.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32I would suggest you have a look closely at mid-20th-century
0:03:32 > 0:03:34studio pottery.
0:03:34 > 0:03:35These are wonderful handmade pieces
0:03:35 > 0:03:38that are just thrown on the potter's wheel.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41And here is a brilliant example from 2011 -
0:03:41 > 0:03:44studio pottery with a celebrated name.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48It certainly got Anita fired up.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52I absolutely love
0:03:52 > 0:03:55this wonderful big pot.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59- Oh, that makes two of us. - Tell me, where did you get it?
0:03:59 > 0:04:02It was a gift from my grandmother when she died
0:04:02 > 0:04:03and it was left for me.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06It is a big studio pot.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10That means that it wasn't factory made or mass-produced -
0:04:10 > 0:04:14it was produced in a small studio or workshop.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19And every pot that they put out was an individual piece.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22It is the studio of Charles Brannam.
0:04:23 > 0:04:28Charles Brannam was one of the great potters of the late 19th,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30early 20th century.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35His father owned a pottery who made in the main utilitarian wares.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39But Charles was an artistic child
0:04:39 > 0:04:44and he persuaded his father to give him studio space.
0:04:44 > 0:04:51They have made this pattern or this image by scraping out the clay
0:04:51 > 0:04:56while it was still wet to make the lines which form up the pattern.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00And this was very typical of this studio or workshop.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Individual studios would crop up where we had craftsmen
0:05:04 > 0:05:12and artists rebelling against the mechanisation of the industrial age
0:05:12 > 0:05:17and wanting to get back to the skill and the craft of the individual.
0:05:17 > 0:05:23And Charles Brannam's studio pottery was one of these,
0:05:23 > 0:05:24and thank goodness for them,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26when we look at what they were making.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29What did you like about it?
0:05:29 > 0:05:32First of all, as you say, the feel and the colours.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35As a child, I don't know, it was just so different.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38- As a child, can you remember...? - Yes, the fish.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41And sometimes they would scowl at me.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44- Yes.- This one looks like a glowering fish, doesn't he?
0:05:44 > 0:05:45Yes.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49Handmade objects have the life
0:05:49 > 0:05:53breathed into them by the artist.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57It's his thoughts going on to the object.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01And for me, that is the essence
0:06:01 > 0:06:05and the pinnacle of good work.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09I would put a value of between £100 and £200.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12It is fairly low and fairly wide,
0:06:12 > 0:06:17but I think a collector would be prepared to pay £100 for that.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19I think it is certainly worth that.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24But what did those in the saleroom think?
0:06:25 > 0:06:29The lovely, large stoneware vase by Charles Brannam.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32I've got two commission bids and 100 starts me straight in.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35- Yes!- Yes, that's good.- Yes!
0:06:35 > 0:06:40Ten will go. At 100. 110. 120.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44130. 140. 190. 200.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46- Yes, we've done it.- 220.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50- 240. At £240.- We'll take that.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54At £240 for the last time...
0:06:54 > 0:06:59Yes! £240. Somebody out there really wanted that.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Anita knew that the collectors would be interested in that piece
0:07:02 > 0:07:04of Brannam pottery.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07But does a good name always guarantee success?
0:07:07 > 0:07:08Have a look at the base here.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13And here we go - CH Brannam of Barum.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16- Good.- And he set up the part of the factory
0:07:16 > 0:07:19that was in charge of doing this, what we call sgraffito decoration...
0:07:20 > 0:07:22I thought the vase was really boldly decorated,
0:07:22 > 0:07:26so it really struck me as a strong design, strong colour.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30Good strong bit of studio pottery.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32I mean, I can sort of see that, if it's a perfect piece,
0:07:32 > 0:07:37fetching at sort of between £150 and £250, that sort of level.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40But because of the damage, I'm going to say to you...
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Can I sort of tuck it at about £80 to £100?
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Studio pottery is really driven by makers and designers.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51So, did auctioneer Claire Rawle share Will's enthusiasm
0:07:51 > 0:07:53for this damaged pot?
0:07:55 > 0:07:58This is the Brannam Barum pottery vase,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00designed by Frederick Brannam.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03I think with Brannam,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05you almost expect a bit of damage.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08I do collect it myself, and you sort of accept the fact.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10Start away here £45.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14At 45. Do I see 50 anywhere? At 45 it is, then.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16Oh, surely, come on!
0:08:16 > 0:08:18You're all sure? 45 with me, then.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20No, that has to stay with me, ladies and gentlemen...
0:08:20 > 0:08:22No, they were sitting on their hands.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Maybe all the locals have already got enough, I don't know.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29Go for the pieces with the deeper colours - the deep blues,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32the deep purples. This had the right decoration on it.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34It had a fish on it - that is very popular.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37But I think go for the darker colours.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41The Brannam Pottery stopped producing in 2005.
0:08:41 > 0:08:42When a factory has closed,
0:08:42 > 0:08:45it obviously means they are not producing any more wares,
0:08:45 > 0:08:49so in that instance, if there is a finite supply of something,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52then of course, they're going to be more valuable than something
0:08:52 > 0:08:54they are still making today.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59But if Brannam is not your thing, what else is worth your vote?
0:08:59 > 0:09:03Artists like Lucie Rie, Hans Coper, Shoji Hamada,
0:09:03 > 0:09:05Bernard Leach, of course.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08If you just learn those, you won't go far wrong.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12Alan Caiger-Smith, again, producing wares that are very collectable.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16If you come across any with those stamped on the bottom, snap it up.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Rarity, name and design.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22James Lewis was lucky to discover all three on a sunny day
0:09:22 > 0:09:24back in 2010.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28If you were a lady of some social standing
0:09:28 > 0:09:30in the Edwardian period,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32this is the sort of bottle that would have adorned
0:09:32 > 0:09:35your dressing table, containing the finest French fragrances.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39The engraving in this glass is just phenomenal.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42It's just beautiful quality.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45Stourbridge was at the heart
0:09:45 > 0:09:48of the English glass-making industry.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50It is of wonderful quality.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53And it is likely to be by a factory that became
0:09:53 > 0:09:56known as Royal Brierley in 1919.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Just look at the quality there of these individually
0:10:00 > 0:10:03hand-cut flower heads.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05And the stylised leaves.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09And the lovely quality of decoration all the way around.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13It was wheel-engraved, so... And some of it was acid etch,
0:10:13 > 0:10:17but these were engraved and then polished, so the piece would be
0:10:17 > 0:10:22held against a grinding wheel and each piece polished out.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24The work is fantastic.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Then you go to the cover.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28This is known as repousse work, which is embossed
0:10:28 > 0:10:31from one side to another.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34There is a little button on the front. If we open that...
0:10:34 > 0:10:36- It's quite tight.- There we are.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Now, if you look at the underside,
0:10:38 > 0:10:42the underside is the exact opposite of the decoration we see above.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45So it has been hammered through rather than cast in a mould.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Have you noticed the initials there?
0:10:48 > 0:10:50- I noticed that, yeah.- Yeah?
0:10:50 > 0:10:52- WG.- Well, it is WC...
0:10:52 > 0:10:54- Ah, WC.- C?
0:10:54 > 0:10:56WC - William Cummins.
0:10:56 > 0:10:57All right.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Very nice silversmith from the early 20th century.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04A piece like that would certainly take a decent period of time.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08How quickly would it take? It depends how quick the workman was,
0:11:08 > 0:11:13and, I guess, whether he was being paid per hour or per piece.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16- I think we ought to put 100 to 150 on it.- Really?
0:11:16 > 0:11:18I think it is very pretty. And do you know?
0:11:18 > 0:11:21I would say that if it didn't make that 100 to 150, just keep it,
0:11:21 > 0:11:23it doesn't matter.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25- I'd rather see it not sell... - Oh, yeah.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28..than see it sell for less than that.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30One of the finest scent bottles
0:11:30 > 0:11:32that I have ever sold from this period
0:11:32 > 0:11:34was by the great jeweller
0:11:34 > 0:11:37from the Russian court, Carl Faberge.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Anything by the master Carl Faberge will fetch a premium.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46In 2012, this wonderful gold-mounted smoky quartz perfume bottle
0:11:46 > 0:11:50went for nearly £30,000.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54We didn't expect to reach quite those heady heights, though.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59This Stourbridge-style silver-mounted scent bottle.
0:11:59 > 0:12:05Lots of interest in this. £100. On my right, at 100.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Anyone going on at £100?
0:12:08 > 0:12:12- Quality always sells, doesn't it? - It does.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15I think £100 was... a disappointing result.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Was I just over-optimistic?
0:12:20 > 0:12:21Maybe I was just wrong.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Not to worry, James - some you win, some you lose.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29At least the bidder got a real bargain.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32And at least YOU didn't have to work as hard as Thomas,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35who ended up with a real handful.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37What, are you pulling this?
0:12:37 > 0:12:40- Are you doing some of the work? - I'm letting you do it all.
0:12:40 > 0:12:41All right, stay here.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43This carved Cupid,
0:12:43 > 0:12:47sleeping Cupid, I don't think I could have lifted it on my own.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50It was that heavy. That's why it came in on the wheels.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53It was from a house that was bought,
0:12:53 > 0:12:54and it was left in the garden, by the pond.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59- Really?- Just left there.- It is what I believe to be carved marble.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02The reason why I believe it to be carved marble is just here.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05We can see the marble coming through.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07And it has been very well weathered.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12So this is a hand-carved piece. This is not done by a machine.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16It would have been a sculptor chipping away at the marble
0:13:16 > 0:13:20with his chisel and his hammer, working extremely hard.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23And then, once he has done that, rubbing it down, polishing it.
0:13:23 > 0:13:28When it was new, it was probably like the surface of a pearl,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30with that shimmer.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34Cupid has wings. The bow has been discarded here.
0:13:34 > 0:13:39And his quiver of arrows is covered.
0:13:39 > 0:13:45So, from an allegorical perspective, I think the story is that Cupid
0:13:45 > 0:13:49is sleeping and the abandonment of pleasures in one's life.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52- That's sad, isn't it?- It is sad.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56He had had enough of making love, you know, between people.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59He was having a rest before he went off on his next quest
0:13:59 > 0:14:00and shot his arrows.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03So I quite like the story behind it as well.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05- 19th century.- OK.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Carved in, I suppose, 1860, I would say.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Michelangelo carved cupids in marble -
0:14:10 > 0:14:13you can see them all around Rome and Florence.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Caravaggio painted them in the 17th century.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20So, this is definitely a 19th-century copy of.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26It this had come in dirty but perfect...
0:14:26 > 0:14:29So, if it had been covered in all this filth,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32that would have made it really special.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34That would have been really, really hot to trot.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37I would've put a couple of thousand on it.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Have you got any idea of value?
0:14:40 > 0:14:43As long as it covers the cost of the petrol to get here.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45It will do more than cover the petrol.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49- I would put a value of £100 to £200. - Fantastic, yep.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51- Shall we get it to auction? Shall we?- Let's do it.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53- Come on.- OK, let's go.- I'm pushing!
0:14:55 > 0:15:00I won't ask the porter to carry it. It is the lying marble figure.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02But there it is. What about 150 for it?
0:15:02 > 0:15:04Yes, 150. 200 now.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08And 210. And 20 and 30 perhaps.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12At £220. 230 in the room, then.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15And I am going to sell it for £230.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20A flurry of activity settling on £230. That is a good result.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23- It is a brilliant result. - Absolutely brilliant.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25I think, if you are relaxed about an object
0:15:25 > 0:15:27and you put it up for sale and you say,
0:15:27 > 0:15:29"You know, let's not put a reserve on,
0:15:29 > 0:15:32"the gods out there will look after you."
0:15:32 > 0:15:33And they did this time.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40Handmade ceramics is a popular collecting field.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42One of the best-known of the Arts and Crafts ceramicists
0:15:42 > 0:15:44was William De Morgan,
0:15:44 > 0:15:48who drew his design inspirations from times gone by.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51One of his many devoted admirers was David Barby.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56These are absolutely superb examples
0:15:56 > 0:15:59of a major potter of the 19th
0:15:59 > 0:16:01and early 20th century -
0:16:01 > 0:16:03William De Morgan.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Like David, Anita is also a big fan.
0:16:06 > 0:16:11William De Morgan was one of the most important potters
0:16:11 > 0:16:14in the Arts and Crafts movement.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18He was a close associate of William Morris
0:16:18 > 0:16:22and the other pre-Raphaelites.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25They're important because not only were they William De Morgan,
0:16:25 > 0:16:30but they are both different in technique of decoration.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34This one is a rich, ruby lustre.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Gorgeous example of his early works.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39This is more in the Persian palette -
0:16:39 > 0:16:43so we have got these rich turquoises, purples and greens.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Both subject matters are galleons.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49He made various wares.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53He made wonderful chargers. He made wonderful pots.
0:16:53 > 0:16:59But he is perhaps best known for the tiles that he made.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03And these tiles were used to decorate our houses,
0:17:03 > 0:17:08our fireplaces, to make wonderful, big panoramic scenes on.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11So he was a man of great importance.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15William De Morgan established three small potteries,
0:17:15 > 0:17:19producing similar wares, not just tiles, but also vases,
0:17:19 > 0:17:24large chargers, which were for the decoration of fairly wealthy homes.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27And it covers a period of Arts and Crafts
0:17:27 > 0:17:30right through into the earlier part of the 20th century.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33We were taken away from the mass production,
0:17:33 > 0:17:38the machine made into the craftsmen
0:17:38 > 0:17:41and the artist who was hand decorating
0:17:41 > 0:17:47each of these tiles, and, boy, can you tell the difference.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49The price I think they should realise at auction
0:17:49 > 0:17:54is £350 to £500, hopefully more.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56The two framed William De Morgan square pottery tiles
0:17:56 > 0:17:58in black frames.
0:17:58 > 0:18:001,800, Margaret's phone.
0:18:00 > 0:18:021,900 in the room.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04£2,000, Margaret's phone.
0:18:04 > 0:18:082,100. 2,200.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11- Fantastic!- 2,300.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14- Look, there's someone.- 2,400.- 2,400!
0:18:14 > 0:18:17- 2,500. - I'm going to need to sit down!
0:18:17 > 0:18:22- In the room, the bid.- Yes! - 2,600. At 2,600.
0:18:22 > 0:18:242,650.
0:18:24 > 0:18:282,650. He has had time. All done.
0:18:28 > 0:18:33- That is incredible. £2,600. - That's amazing!
0:18:33 > 0:18:36- Even I'M sitting down now.- Amazing!
0:18:36 > 0:18:42These tiles commanded a wonderful price at auction
0:18:42 > 0:18:44and deserved every single penny.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Wow, five times the top end of the estimate -
0:18:51 > 0:18:54what a wonderful "Flog It!" moment.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56And I'm sure it was the condition of Pat's tiles that sent them
0:18:56 > 0:18:58through the roof.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Now, if you don't have any William De Morgan tiles hiding
0:19:01 > 0:19:04away at home, what else should you be keeping an eye out for
0:19:04 > 0:19:07when it comes to handcrafted items?
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Studio pottery is a good bet,
0:19:12 > 0:19:17but check with your auction house to see what is hot and what is not.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Remember these names - Brannam, Elton Ware,
0:19:20 > 0:19:24Bernard Leach, Lucie Rie, Hans Coper and Alan Caiger-Smith.
0:19:27 > 0:19:32Pieces by a factory that closed are limited, making them more desirable.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38Beautiful handmade pieces which demonstrate huge amounts of skill
0:19:38 > 0:19:41can be snapped up for relatively little money.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44So keep your eyes peeled when you're out and about.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48At £100.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50- Quality always sells.- Yes.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53A big name like William De Morgan
0:19:53 > 0:19:56is a clear winner, but be alert for work by his
0:19:56 > 0:20:00Arts and Crafts contemporaries, William Morris, Voysey,
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Ernest Gimson and CR Ashbee.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07And go with your gut feeling.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09If you like it, buy it.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17In the late 19th century, a group of people formed a movement
0:20:17 > 0:20:21later to be known as the Arts and Crafts movement, which championed
0:20:21 > 0:20:25traditional skills and methods to make beautiful handcrafted things.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27Almost at the same time,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30a chap called Edmund Elton discovered a passion
0:20:30 > 0:20:34for pottery just down the road from where Thomas Plant grew up.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Here we are at Tickenham Church.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43This is the church where I was baptised.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46I may have cried all the way through the service, but my godmother,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Julia Elton, was here to comfort me.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Julia Elton has played a huge part in my life.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Her great-grandfather, Sir Edmund Elton,
0:20:55 > 0:20:59was the Baronet of Clevedon Court and a potter.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01The pottery was called Elton Ware.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Little did I know it at my christening,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07I was surrounded by all this stuff, the Elton pillars,
0:21:07 > 0:21:12the Elton candlesticks, and it has become a huge passion in my life.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16Sir Edmund and his assistants handmade thousands of pots,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19vases, jugs, whatever you can imagine.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22The great thing is, they were all unique because they were handmade,
0:21:22 > 0:21:24thus making them terribly collectable today.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39I am off to catch up with Julia, my godmother,
0:21:39 > 0:21:41and also see lots more of Sir Edmund's work.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45HE RINGS BELL
0:21:46 > 0:21:49- Julia!- Hi!
0:21:51 > 0:21:58Julia, tell me, where does Edmund fit into the family tree
0:21:58 > 0:22:02- and where do you come? - Well, I am his great-granddaughter.
0:22:02 > 0:22:09He was the eighth baronet, and, interestingly, his father,
0:22:09 > 0:22:11actually was a very good painter.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15Behind me in this room are hung two very nice oil paintings
0:22:15 > 0:22:17that he did in Italy.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21So the father must have passed down his artistic flair to his son.
0:22:21 > 0:22:22I think very much so,
0:22:22 > 0:22:26because the Eltons generally are not known for their artistic talents.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30We have three pots here on the table. Which is the earliest piece?
0:22:30 > 0:22:33The earliest piece is this rather crude piece here.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38He began just fiddling about with clay and then the glazes, and he used
0:22:38 > 0:22:44to put the pots in the kitchen oven when the cooking had been done.
0:22:44 > 0:22:49You can see, crude as it is, that it has got
0:22:49 > 0:22:53the beginnings of what became so distinctive.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57You have got a piece down here which is an extraordinary piece.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59- Can we have a look at that?- Yes.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03Where did he get his ideas for these shapes?
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Well, they were influenced by the Japanese.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08I mean, this is a very extraordinary piece
0:23:08 > 0:23:10and it is rather Japanese, I think.
0:23:10 > 0:23:16You have got this mythical beast here with horns, teeth,
0:23:16 > 0:23:20but also the mouth of a fish and then the scales of a serpent.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23Yes, and then back to the fish tail at the end.
0:23:23 > 0:23:29From these lovely colours, glazes and extraordinary shapes,
0:23:29 > 0:23:33we have this fabulous gold.
0:23:33 > 0:23:38In about 1902, he begins to think about metallic glazes.
0:23:38 > 0:23:43He is, in fact, as you've seen with this, putting these slabs of metal...
0:23:43 > 0:23:47Do you think this is almost like an iron glaze on here,
0:23:47 > 0:23:52- to give it this gilt?- Well, it is allegedly gold and platinum.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55- Gold and platinum?- Absolutely.
0:23:55 > 0:23:56He didn't scrimp, did he?
0:23:56 > 0:24:00- He didn't scrimp. - He didn't scrimp on this.
0:24:00 > 0:24:07And then, in about 1909, he starts doing what they call crackle,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10which is wholly metallic glazes.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13- So this is all gold? - This is all gold.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Do you think he charged the correct amount for each pot?
0:24:15 > 0:24:17No, I shouldn't think so for a minute.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20I don't think he was really interested in money.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25Certainly, the reason there is such a lot in north Somerset
0:24:25 > 0:24:31is that Sir Edmund himself gave it away to everybody.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34What happened to the pottery and the legacy? What was left?
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Well, mountains of pots.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40Finally, my grandfather took down the kiln and broke up the pottery yard.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43All Sir Edmund wanted to do, as far as I can see, is to be a potter,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46and he completely took his eye off the estate.
0:24:46 > 0:24:53And in 1919, he sold off £73,000 worth of the estate in their money.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55We have always said in the family,
0:24:55 > 0:25:00it is the most expensive pottery that has ever been made.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05The sheer volume of Elton Ware produced
0:25:05 > 0:25:07and all the different pieces and styles means
0:25:07 > 0:25:11prices vary from £30 to £250.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14But whatever it costs, you can be sure you're getting
0:25:14 > 0:25:18an original from an eccentric whose life's work was potting.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Edmund Elton, the baronet who had lots of money
0:25:23 > 0:25:25to indulge his passion, to really enjoy potting.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29He enjoyed potting so much he made some great errors
0:25:29 > 0:25:31but also made some great glazes.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34It was so interesting to see the start of British art pottery,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36and he paved the way.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46There is something about handcrafted items, each one of them is unique.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51They have their own personality which gives them extra appeal,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53as Mark Stacey appreciates.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56This, to me, is a very interesting figure.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59We have all seen Royal Doulton and Royal Worcester
0:25:59 > 0:26:02and Coalport porcelain figures which are mass-produced.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05This intrigued me cos this is handmade.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09And it is signed underneath, Maggie Padgett.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13I don't know very much about Maggie Padgett, but I bought it
0:26:13 > 0:26:15because it just looks very interesting.
0:26:15 > 0:26:21It is very well-modelled. You can see instantly this is handmade.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25I mean, the hair is individually done, it is not machine done.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27You haven't got 100 of these coming towards you
0:26:27 > 0:26:29as you are splattering the paint on.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32All these are painted by hand,
0:26:32 > 0:26:35the hands are modelled individually here,
0:26:35 > 0:26:37and placed on - the long evening gloves
0:26:37 > 0:26:39are modelled to look like that.
0:26:39 > 0:26:44The face I think is... There's something sort of naive about it.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47To me, that is what gives it its charm.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50When you look underneath, you can see it is not all finished,
0:26:50 > 0:26:54like a mass-produced figure would be.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58You can see where the potter has moved the clay around.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01I find that really rather charming.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05There is now a collecting field for some of these studio potters
0:27:05 > 0:27:07from the '20s,
0:27:07 > 0:27:11'30s, up to the '50s, because they are becoming identifiable
0:27:11 > 0:27:13and they are becoming more collectable
0:27:13 > 0:27:15because they are limited.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18You know, there aren't going to be 500 of these figures,
0:27:18 > 0:27:20or 10,000 of these figures.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22Each one also is going to be slightly different
0:27:22 > 0:27:24because it is handmade.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26But I think, to me she appeals,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29because she is a bit more of a one-off.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37The great strength of handmade antiques
0:27:37 > 0:27:41is that they posses a naive quality that simply cannot be created
0:27:41 > 0:27:43when objects are mass-produced.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47I can feel my heartbeat really sort of racing right now.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53You can pick up many pieces at relatively affordable prices,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56but the big-ticket items will always be those created
0:27:56 > 0:28:00by the famous artisans and designers of the past.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04At £240 for the last time...
0:28:04 > 0:28:08Yes! £240, somebody out there really wanted that.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12But don't forget that the work
0:28:12 > 0:28:13of today's artisans
0:28:13 > 0:28:16could well be tomorrow's desirable antiques.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19So, do keep a close eye on what's being produced
0:28:19 > 0:28:21by contemporary craftsmen and women.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29Well, that's it for today's show.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33I hope we've given you some useful pointers and some food for thought.
0:28:33 > 0:28:38So if you're hungry for more, join us next time on Trade Secrets.