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.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26And during that time, we have all learned a great deal about the world
0:00:26 > 0:00:31of fine art and antiques that we, as a nation, cannot get enough of.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34So today, I want to share some of that knowledge with you.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37So stand by to hear some more trade secrets.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07For me, craftsmanship is the central part
0:01:07 > 0:01:10of the appeal of any piece of fine art.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Now, until relatively recently, everything was made
0:01:13 > 0:01:16by hand - furniture, porcelain, jewellery.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19So today, we are celebrating all the handmade items
0:01:19 > 0:01:21that light up the Flog It! valuation days.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Coming up...
0:01:27 > 0:01:30a meeting of minds at valuation day...
0:01:30 > 0:01:35I absolutely love this wonderful, big pot.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Oh, that makes two of us.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44..Caroline is caught out by a talented amateur...
0:01:44 > 0:01:48I was very surprised when I was told that these were handmade,
0:01:48 > 0:01:50because they are beautifully made.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55..a rare pair of handmade treats smashes our estimate...
0:01:55 > 0:01:58£2,600!
0:01:58 > 0:02:01- Even I am sitting down now. - Absolutely amazing!
0:02:01 > 0:02:04..and can you guess which of our experts heads back home
0:02:04 > 0:02:07to explore great craftsmanship near his birthplace?
0:02:13 > 0:02:17Now, I don't suppose for one minute that the unknown maker
0:02:17 > 0:02:20of this leather blackjack, which dates to around 1690,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24had any idea that today this would be worth around £1,000.
0:02:24 > 0:02:25But it is, it is a hardy survivor.
0:02:25 > 0:02:30This was meant to be used, abused really, filled up with ale or wine.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33And there's the spout. Look, there is the handle.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Pour it away. Look, use it for a few months and chuck it.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39It is a relevance that it was made by an amateur.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41But is that always the case?
0:02:47 > 0:02:50If it is unsigned, go for some nice, early naive work.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53I think if you're looking for something that is handmade,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56you are looking for a truth and honesty of its design.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59You're looking for something of its period.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01But also always look for quality.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06It could be a carved bit of wood, it could be a carved bit of marble.
0:03:06 > 0:03:08And you are actually thinking in your head,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10"You couldn't actually get that made
0:03:10 > 0:03:15"or even buy the materials for what it would cost to make now by hand."
0:03:17 > 0:03:21You'll find quality in all types of handmade items -
0:03:21 > 0:03:25in professional pieces, of course, but also an amateur works.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30Well, here we are in Lincolnshire,
0:03:30 > 0:03:35and what better thing to fly in than these two iconic World War II
0:03:35 > 0:03:38planes, which look as if they could be just flying into one
0:03:38 > 0:03:44of the dozens of airfields that were around here in the Second World War.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47I don't know the models. Can you tell me a bit about them?
0:03:47 > 0:03:52Well, I presume this is the... this is the Spitfire.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55And then I have been told that it is the Mosquito.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00I was very surprised when I was told that these were handmade,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02because they are beautifully made.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06They really are. And somebody spent an awful long time on them
0:04:06 > 0:04:07in his shed. I think it was
0:04:07 > 0:04:09Ken's grandfather who made them in his shed.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Well, they have come into the family from my grandad,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15who worked in the railway yard at Doncaster.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17He was quite a handy sort of chap.
0:04:17 > 0:04:22Yes. And he'd make old model planes, cos he had a workshop.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26And it got me to... As a boy, used to make model planes.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29So you think he made these?
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Well, we think so, yeah.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34You know, they are very, very indicative of that period.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38You could almost see the guy in his shed making them, you know,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41watching the planes go overhead.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43It's naively made.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46And this one, the detail in this.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49You can see underneath the work that has gone into it.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51He must've been very proud of them.
0:04:51 > 0:04:52And they are working models, aren't they?
0:04:52 > 0:04:55- The propellers go around. - Well, yeah.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58I could tell they were handmade when I looked more closely at them.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01There was no uniformity in them. There were differences.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04But they were very, very beautiful things, though.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08There is a lot of people that are interested in World War II
0:05:08 > 0:05:11memorabilia. There are a lot of people interested in planes.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15I think they could get £40 to £60.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19And if we put a fixed reserve at £40
0:05:19 > 0:05:23- and hope that they fly. - That's right, yes.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Fingers crossed. Anyway, they are going under the hammer right now.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Let's put it to the test.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30£30 bid. Two now. Making it two.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31It's two. And five.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Anywhere else, now five. 35? 38? 38 bid, 40 do I see now?
0:05:34 > 0:05:3538, going to bed 40 surely.
0:05:35 > 0:05:3640. Selling at 40.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40£40, it's sold, the hammer has gone down.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44£40 was a very, very cheap price for these airplanes. It really was.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46It seems such a shame.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Somebody has spent an awful long time making these.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53As always, a known maker, a known artist makes all the difference.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56To my mind, it doesn't matter who has made them,
0:05:56 > 0:06:00it is the fact that they have been lovingly and carefully handcrafted.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05Love and care is evident in the work of enthusiastic hobbyists.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08- Is it a hobby or a profession? - No, it's a hobby.
0:06:08 > 0:06:09You can't make money at it.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11And in pieces designed back
0:06:11 > 0:06:14when craft was a more mainstream activity.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17So this will fit into sort of a large Victorian house.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19It will also fit in to a small cottage.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23If you're going to look at one area that is quite interesting, that
0:06:23 > 0:06:27has got a lot of different regions to study and can fetch good money -
0:06:27 > 0:06:3019th-century American quilts.
0:06:30 > 0:06:36Beautiful, handmade social history, but quite valuable.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39One such quilt crossed the Atlantic to the Cotswolds,
0:06:39 > 0:06:41the home of Arts and Crafts.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Once there, it caught the eye of Charlie Ross.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46Well, this quilt came from the United States.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49- Right, as indeed you do. - Yes, as indeed I do.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51- I am from Boston.- Right.
0:06:51 > 0:06:52The quilt is from Pennsylvania.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55It was made in about 1880.
0:06:55 > 0:07:00It recently hung in an American quilt exhibit back in Georgia.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02I liked the quilt. It appealed to me.
0:07:02 > 0:07:08And part of me wanted to know more about it.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12- The pattern is called 1,000 Pyramids. - 1,000 Pyramids.- Right.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15- There's probably more than a thousand pyramids.- Not quite.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19- But there's a lot. There are only a few that repeat.- Yeah.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21So if none repeated, it will be called a charm quilt.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25But since there are a few that repeat, it's just called a scrappy quilt.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28- Good Lord, we are learning a lot here.- There you go.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30She had a passion for quilts.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34She had - although she repeated it rather sort of ashamed,
0:07:34 > 0:07:39because she didn't want her husband to know - over 50 quilts.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42- We moved into an English house with no closets.- Yeah.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46So I'm thinking I'm need to pare back on some of my quilt collection.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48- Right. - So I brought this along with me.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51It's hugely enjoyable to get somebody...
0:07:51 > 0:07:55and unusual to get somebody along to Flog It!
0:07:55 > 0:07:59that knows considerably more about something than you do yourself.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02You might say in my case that is not rare at all.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06Just to cut out the pieces to do it would take several days.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09And then sewing each one of these by hand,
0:08:09 > 0:08:11you're talking several weeks.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14- I bought it at an estate sale.- Yeah.
0:08:14 > 0:08:19And there was a piece of paper stitched to it loosely, and it said,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22"Made by Aunt Meg for my nephew."
0:08:22 > 0:08:27A quilt made by me would not be worth anything at all.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32A quilt particularly stitched as this was,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34that has a splendid charm to it.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39I can't imagine that it is worth much less than £100 to £150.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44If we estimated it at that, perhaps a reserve of £80?
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- That will be fine. - Would that be satisfactory?
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Was it hard to choose one to get rid of first or do you think this
0:08:52 > 0:08:54- is your worst one you're selling? - No.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57I have another one that is similar to this.
0:08:57 > 0:08:58- All right, so you have got a double. - Yeah.
0:08:58 > 0:09:03And so I sort of thought, well, if I was going to thin the herd,
0:09:03 > 0:09:05- that I would pick one that I already had.- That's sensible.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08- You're sounding like a proper collector.- Thank you.
0:09:08 > 0:09:09Let's hope you get the top end.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11- It's going under the hammer now. - OK.- This is it.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14203, American patchwork quilt.
0:09:14 > 0:09:151,000 Pyramids pattern.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18At 110, who's going on? 120.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21- 130. At 130 again.- Great.- Oh!
0:09:21 > 0:09:23At 130 then against you.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Selling then at 130...
0:09:26 > 0:09:28Yes! The hammer has gone down with a boom.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Apart from its value as an object,
0:09:32 > 0:09:33if you actually
0:09:33 > 0:09:37put down the price per hour, it's a jolly cheap thing.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Yes, a fantastic bargain
0:09:40 > 0:09:43and an amazing piece of heritage for the lucky bidder.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47Handmade objects do involve hours of great skill and offer
0:09:47 > 0:09:53something unique, like this walking cane Mark Stacey spotted in 2010.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57We've got here what I think is a piece of fruit wood.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00So it's come from like a walnut tree or an apple tree
0:10:00 > 0:10:02or something like that, a pear tree
0:10:02 > 0:10:06that somebody first of all has carved out and then has started...
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Once he's got it down to a particular shape,
0:10:10 > 0:10:13he has then started to carve all these little details out.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15The quality was exceptional.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18I mean, there was so many things going on in this cane.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21I mean, I love the fact also, as soon as you've touched it,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24you knew there was 150 years of history there,
0:10:24 > 0:10:26because the warmth of the wood...
0:10:26 > 0:10:29There had been so many greasy paws all over that.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33It had added that lovely warmth, the patina, it was wonderful.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36I think this is a love token.
0:10:36 > 0:10:37Oh, do you?
0:10:37 > 0:10:41I think somebody in the 19th century wanted to create something
0:10:41 > 0:10:43interesting for a loved one.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45This, I think, is absolutely charming.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48This little polyagonal design here.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Because in each of these, there is a little leaf
0:10:50 > 0:10:52of a different animal.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55The one I find that is particularly charming is the squirrel.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57We've got these entwined hands there.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59And then all the way down here,
0:10:59 > 0:11:04they have done a spiral twist with this lovely decoration of hops.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06When you are looking at items like this,
0:11:06 > 0:11:08they are sometimes very symbolic.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12You know, you find hearts, pairs of birds, snakes.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16All these are symbolic of love, longevity.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20And sometimes, you know, we don't know the meeting, because maybe
0:11:20 > 0:11:24they're items carved and they were very specific to that person.
0:11:24 > 0:11:30- I'd certainly want to put it in at £100 to £150.- Yes? Oh, lovely.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35I love this next item. And they say you can tell a man's
0:11:35 > 0:11:38profession by his walking cane, and this is just absolutely gorgeous.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40We know there is an awful lot of collectors out there
0:11:40 > 0:11:42for walking canes and that sort of thing.
0:11:42 > 0:11:43Big market, very big market.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45They will like this. Yes, they will like it a lot.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49The wooden cane we are on to now. This is fun.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51300.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54With me at £300. Against you in the room.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58£300, Lydia!
0:11:58 > 0:12:00At £300, commission bid.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Are we all out and clear? I sell?
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Thank you. £300, excellent.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10This is a one-off piece. It was exquisitely carved.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12That will appeal to collectors.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15Generally, though, anything from this period
0:12:15 > 0:12:18with that quality of carving will be desirable.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Symbolism features often in handmade items.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25The maker of this cane could have crafted it for a sweetheart,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28just as sailors used to spend long periods at sea,
0:12:28 > 0:12:32fashioning scrimshaw for their loved ones back on dry land.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34You've brought a lovely piece of scrimshaw in here.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36What is the story behind this?
0:12:36 > 0:12:38I don't know a lot about it.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41- It was in the house ever since I was very small.- Uh-huh.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45That's really how it got there. Who brought it? I do not know.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Scrimshaw is quite an interesting art,
0:12:47 > 0:12:52because it is quite a naive form of craftsmanship.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56But also it is, by definition, quite a refined
0:12:56 > 0:13:01and painstaking way of decorating either whales
0:13:01 > 0:13:05or walruses' teeth or possibly sometimes bone.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08It is thought to have been primarily sailors who would undertake
0:13:08 > 0:13:12this form of craft using knives or needles
0:13:12 > 0:13:15to scratch away at the surface and to actually make the design up.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19Normally, they represent the... Why don't I just turn that over?
0:13:19 > 0:13:21The ship that they were serving on.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25And there it is, a nice masted galleon there with billowing sails.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28I mean, sailors did a lot of different craftsmanship,
0:13:28 > 0:13:32from weaving through to quite exquisite embroidery and needlework,
0:13:32 > 0:13:35so to extend their ability to engraving is kind of really
0:13:35 > 0:13:37not that unusual.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39And they spent hours and days and weeks and months at sea.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41They had to fill it in some way.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Now, if that ship were traceable
0:13:43 > 0:13:47or if it were known as to where that sailed, who might have
0:13:47 > 0:13:52sailed on it, that would potentially add value to the piece itself.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54The more detailed, the better.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57The more skilful the artist, the better.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59But if something is either named or indeed dated
0:13:59 > 0:14:03and to give it sort of a real root back in history
0:14:03 > 0:14:07and a degree of provenance that goes with it is helpful.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12I think, date-wise, it is going to be probably mid 19th century.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16You can't get much scrimshaw for 100 150, so shall we say 200 to 400?
0:14:16 > 0:14:20- Yes.- Put a reserve on at £200.- Yes.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22- Make that firm?- Yes.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Thank you for coming in today and bringing it.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28- No problem, I enjoyed it.- We'll see what we can do at the auction.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30There we go, a very nice piece of scrimshaw.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32And a lot of interest in it.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36- At 300. 320. From Australia.- Oh!
0:14:36 > 0:14:39They are an international collectable.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41It crosses all sorts of barriers, potentially,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43in terms of appreciation.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47At 440, net bidder had it. Any more bids from the room?
0:14:47 > 0:14:49We sell then to Australia at 440.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53It is just a fascinating thing that the word scrimshaw will be picked up
0:14:53 > 0:14:57on a word search, and somebody as far away as Australia chased it down
0:14:57 > 0:14:59and succeeded in buying it, which is wonderful.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Scrimshaw may be highly collectable, but it is also easily faked,
0:15:04 > 0:15:08so do your homework to make sure yours is genuine.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10And like ivory, it is controversial.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13But it is perfectly legal to buy or sell if it dates
0:15:13 > 0:15:17before 1973.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Scrimshaw was generally created by talented amateurs
0:15:20 > 0:15:22with time to spare,
0:15:22 > 0:15:27as was a wonderfully unusual item that Mark spotted in 2012.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Now, you have brought this charming little object in.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33Can you give me a little bit of the history of it?
0:15:33 > 0:15:37It has been in the family, so I have lived with it all my life.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40It was worked by a relation of my father's.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44- Oh, wow. So it has come right through your family.- Yes.- Wonderful.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47This type of wool work pictures is remarkably rare these days.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50I mean, I loved it because it was so 3-D
0:15:50 > 0:15:53and the colours were beautiful on it.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56It almost hadn't aged at all.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59The nice thing with something like this is you don't have to do
0:15:59 > 0:16:02too much research on it, because the main information
0:16:02 > 0:16:04- is already there, isn't it? - That's right.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07You've got the name - Mary Ann Lawrence.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10And the date - 1837.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14- And she was aged 13...- I know. - ..when she did this.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Now, you wouldn't get many 13-year-olds today doing such
0:16:17 > 0:16:19- lovely handwork, would you?- No.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Condition for this sort of thing is everything.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24And this really was in remarkably good condition.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26The colours were strong.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29I loved those strawberries tumbling out of the bowl,
0:16:29 > 0:16:31it was just wonderful. I would have loved it.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34What we have got here is something a little bit out of the ordinary.
0:16:34 > 0:16:35This 3-D effect.
0:16:35 > 0:16:40She has worked this lovely wicker basket in sort of felt, I think.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44And then she has hand sewn and handmade these lovely little
0:16:44 > 0:16:47strawberries, including the little seeds and the leaves.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51And they are tumbling off there. You've got wildflowers.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55- And it must have taken hours of work, mustn't it?- Absolutely, yes.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57And patience.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00The beauty of this is the naivety.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03This is a handmade item from a lady of leisure, really,
0:17:03 > 0:17:08who had time before television and radio to sit there sewing.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12It transported me back to a Jane Austen novel.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15In an ideal world, I think, if we want to show that
0:17:15 > 0:17:16it's from a private source,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19we would want to put an estimate of something like 300 to 500.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21- Would you be happy with that?- Yes.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24So we put a fixed reserve of 300?
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Hopefully, that will bring in all those buyers.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Jane was so confident about the colourful wool work
0:17:32 > 0:17:34that she upped the estimate.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36But would the bidders agree?
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Going under the hammer right now, my favourite item of the whole
0:17:39 > 0:17:42valuation day - the strawberry wool work diorama.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45There it is - pretty and unusual thing.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47And I bid £410 for it.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49Against you all at 410.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51All done then at 520?
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Finished at 520?
0:17:56 > 0:17:59- It's gone at £520.- Mid-estimate.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01Well, that's OK, that's OK.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04- Hopefully, a museum has bought it. - Yeah, you never know.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07- Yes, that'd be nice. - It would be, wouldn't it?- Yes.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11This would have gone to a specialist dealer or collector
0:18:11 > 0:18:13in that type of folk art.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17I would associate that, of course, with a sort of naive painting.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19It would look lovely in a room
0:18:19 > 0:18:21full of Georgian-period oak furniture.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25I agree, and I'd be happy to have it in my home.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Some handmade items can be rough and ready,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31but this needn't detract from their appeal.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Hours of work, pride and passion have gone into their making,
0:18:35 > 0:18:37so they represent great value.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41In some cases, you can pick up an antique piece for less than new.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46Handmade textiles are a popular collectable, not surprising,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49as they are often the result of great skill.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53But be sure to keep them in the best conditions, away from moths
0:18:53 > 0:18:56and potentially damaging sunlight.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Scrimshaw is highly sought after,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02but if it is suspiciously cheap, it is probably fake.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Good authentic pieces command great prices.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09In 2012, this cane, dating back two centuries,
0:19:09 > 0:19:14sold at auction for a whopping £46,000.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18The owner had stored it on top of a cupboard for 60 years.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20So what else is worth considering?
0:19:22 > 0:19:25I think one of the most important things is to keep your eyes open
0:19:25 > 0:19:27for antiques of the future.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31Now, if you know a local maker producing quality items
0:19:31 > 0:19:36that you think will stand the test of time, then why not invest?
0:19:36 > 0:19:39At the end of the day, if it doesn't go up in value, at least you
0:19:39 > 0:19:43have bought something that you love and it has put a smile on your face.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46It's going to make you feel good, and that is what it is all about.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Here at the American Museum in Bath is one of the best collections
0:19:52 > 0:19:56of original Shaker furniture in the world.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02The Shakers were a religious community in 18th-century America.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06They believed in order, simplicity, sharing and no clutter.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10And their furniture became symbolic of their faith.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Shaker designs sprang from a religious philosophy
0:20:16 > 0:20:19that rejected the values of the world at large,
0:20:19 > 0:20:23a world that was deliberately set apart from everyday American
0:20:23 > 0:20:27life during the late 18th and early 19th century.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32And this is what I am talking about - the simplest
0:20:32 > 0:20:36and purest of furniture you will ever find, and it is so practical.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40Every time I look at Shaker furniture, it always makes me smile.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Life is so simple when you declutter.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46And the Shaker belief was all about sharing things.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49You couldn't have clutter, else you would never find anything.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Because they had to share their tools, their utensils,
0:20:52 > 0:20:54their blankets, absolutely anything.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57And when you look at the furniture, you'll never see
0:20:57 > 0:21:00a piece of Shaker furniture that has been identified by its maker.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02You see, they didn't want to know, they didn't want single
0:21:02 > 0:21:04ownership of that either.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Mixture of words were used,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09all highly coloured and polished as well.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12This is a cherry wood top. They loved fruit woods
0:21:12 > 0:21:15but also hardwoods - actually some maples - and lots of softwoods.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18You will find softwoods always in the pine carcass.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20It is sort of a lightweight, cheap wood.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24It is a bit like a soapbox, really, but no-one looks at the inside.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27But just looking at the simple banks of drawers,
0:21:27 > 0:21:31there is absolutely no ornamentation.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33There is no need for decoration.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36It sort of takes the eye off of what the whole thing was supposed
0:21:36 > 0:21:38to be about in the first place.
0:21:38 > 0:21:39This is very humble.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42But when you take a closer look at this chest of drawers,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45you think, "Hang on, look at the overhang on the top."
0:21:45 > 0:21:47I've never seen an English or European
0:21:47 > 0:21:50chest of drawers like this, with such generous overhangs.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54You see, now, this also doubles up as a counter, as a tabletop.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Very functional, very practical.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00And somebody has been using this as a worktop,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02because can you see all these draw knife marks?
0:22:02 > 0:22:05There is an indication of an awful lot of work going on here,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08which is great, because that is what it was meant to be used for.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10And also, it has got a drop-leaf section here,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13so you can fold that flap down and move the thing
0:22:13 > 0:22:17back against the wall, get it out of the way, declutter again.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Cleanliness was next to godliness here.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21# I love Mother... #
0:22:21 > 0:22:24The Shakers strove to lead pure and simple lives,
0:22:24 > 0:22:26and their furniture reflects this.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29This simple and elegant designs were way ahead of their time,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32and almost by accident, they became art objects.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34# May have his throne
0:22:34 > 0:22:37# And the miser, his gold
0:22:37 > 0:22:40# The monarch, his palace
0:22:40 > 0:22:44# And the princes
0:22:44 > 0:22:47# I covet none of this
0:22:47 > 0:22:49# For I the gospel call. #
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Take a close look at the picture rail,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54because you've got these hand-turned pegs which have been
0:22:54 > 0:22:58driven into this wood, which has been painted with a blue ground.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00But the great thing about this is,
0:23:00 > 0:23:05you don't just hang your clothes on it or your tools,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08but when you've finished using a piece of furniture
0:23:08 > 0:23:10and space is of a premium,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13you can pick your piece of furniture up
0:23:13 > 0:23:17and you can hang it out of the way.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20You see, they were always in the pursuit of perfection,
0:23:20 > 0:23:24improving things, moving along. A simple thing like this stove.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27OK, it is a very basic wood burner.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29Here is the hub of the burner.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32But also it has got an extension on the top. As this heats up
0:23:32 > 0:23:33all day long, so does that.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36So that is going to give off twice as much heat again.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39You see, it's genius, isn't it?
0:23:39 > 0:23:41And I love this as well - the old rocker.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44And this is so typical of a ladder-back chair.
0:23:44 > 0:23:45It looks like an English one -
0:23:45 > 0:23:47ladder-back here with the rush seat.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50But what sets it apart is the fact that it is an American one and
0:23:50 > 0:23:54it has got these lovely mushrooms terminating at the top of each leg
0:23:54 > 0:23:57where it joins the... I love that. And that is so comfortable,
0:23:57 > 0:24:00you just want to hang on to that and caress it.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04But this I have to show you, because Shaker furniture hasn't just
0:24:04 > 0:24:07influenced furniture designers, but all designers of the 20th century.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11If I hold that up, that does look like a bit of Philippe Starck,
0:24:11 > 0:24:13doesn't it? Let's face it.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15But it is just the simpleness, it's just...
0:24:15 > 0:24:18You don't need a lot of weight there -
0:24:18 > 0:24:22it's just a functional little side table or candle stand.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26Beautifully symmetrical. And again, so pleasing on the eye.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30# For I the gospel call
0:24:30 > 0:24:34# And a kind, loving mother
0:24:34 > 0:24:38# Which is better than them all
0:24:38 > 0:24:42# The king may have his throne
0:24:42 > 0:24:45# And the miser, his gold
0:24:45 > 0:24:48# The monarch, his palace
0:24:48 > 0:24:50# And the princes... #
0:24:50 > 0:24:54I would love to live my life in a space like this,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57because I know I would be on top of everything and, you know,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00I'd have more time to read and more time to think
0:25:00 > 0:25:02and I'd be a happier person.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04That is what Shaker furniture does for you.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08# Which is better than them all. #
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Thomas Plant is a man who loves to look at all the beautiful
0:25:15 > 0:25:18antiques you bring to our valuation days,
0:25:18 > 0:25:22but he is also a collector of some rather mutual handmade objects.
0:25:29 > 0:25:30These are pilgrim shells.
0:25:30 > 0:25:36They're carved mother of pearl with scenes from the Bible.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39They are carved in the Holy Land - Palestine or Israel.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43As you go on a pilgrimage, you want to bring something back.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45And these are souvenirs.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48But you can buy these souvenirs now or you could have bought them
0:25:48 > 0:25:51in the 19th century, bought them in the 18th century.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55The reason why I like them and why I want to collect them is not
0:25:55 > 0:25:58that I'm over religious, not that I'm religious at all.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01But I find that anything with religion
0:26:01 > 0:26:02associated to it
0:26:02 > 0:26:07is going to have a deeper sense of thought put into it.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10The applied design, the workmanship,
0:26:10 > 0:26:14the craftsmanship is going to have that extra bit of love.
0:26:14 > 0:26:20We have scenes of the Madonna, Jesus and Joseph,
0:26:20 > 0:26:25scenes of St Andrew with his cross and the Last Supper.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30The man or woman who has carved these has used many tools.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33He has probably used a sharp blade or a small chisel to carve out
0:26:33 > 0:26:36the faces of the Last Supper.
0:26:36 > 0:26:41Down below, he has used a file to do this beautiful pierced design
0:26:41 > 0:26:46and then a smaller tool to do the frieze around the rim.
0:26:46 > 0:26:51Now, the substance they are carved out of, mother of pearl,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54gives it that certain extra something,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56because it makes them shimmer.
0:26:57 > 0:27:02Earlier examples are painted as well.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06And you can get massive ones with different scenes
0:27:06 > 0:27:09from all scenes of the Bible. They are sometimes cased in leather.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12But they're like 500 quid.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Each one of these is reasonable at £50 to £80 each.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19Everything starts with the patronage of the church
0:27:19 > 0:27:21or of a religion.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25And I feel that the people who have carved these have devoted time,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28effort and quality into them.
0:27:28 > 0:27:29And I really enjoy them.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Still to come, James is blown away
0:27:38 > 0:27:40by British craftsmanship at its best.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44No, no, no, this isn't an everyday scent bottle you have.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48Just look at the quality there of these individually
0:27:48 > 0:27:50hand-cut flower heads.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53And Mark explains his appreciation for one piece
0:27:53 > 0:27:56of handmade porcelain.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00To me, she appeals because she is a bit more of a one-off.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Many of the great names in British antiques have stayed true
0:28:06 > 0:28:11to the art of making things by hand - hand-painted ceramics,
0:28:11 > 0:28:13hand-carved stone, handmade furniture.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18We see a lot of these items at a Flog It! valuation day.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22But the ones that stand out are those with a great name attached.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24Items made
0:28:24 > 0:28:29by the studios, by artists and craftsmen
0:28:29 > 0:28:33are more valuable in the market today
0:28:33 > 0:28:37because each of these pieces is unique.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Names are better to collect because if you have got
0:28:41 > 0:28:43somebody that is popular today rather than an amateur,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46the likelihood is it will be collectable in the future.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49So rather than an amateur...
0:28:49 > 0:28:53It's a brave bet to take a chance on somebody who is an amateur now
0:28:53 > 0:28:55getting better in the future,
0:28:55 > 0:28:57but I would always say, go for big names.
0:28:57 > 0:29:02Most people that have a skill and hand-make objects
0:29:02 > 0:29:05are proud enough to put their name to the object.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08One thinks perhaps of Robert Thompson - Mouseman -
0:29:08 > 0:29:10who put a little mouse on his pieces of furniture.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14So, of course, it helps to have a recognised name
0:29:14 > 0:29:15to anything that's handmade.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21I would suggest you have a look closely at mid-20th-century
0:29:21 > 0:29:23studio pottery.
0:29:23 > 0:29:24There's wonderful handmade pieces
0:29:24 > 0:29:27that are just thrown on the potter's wheel.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30And here is a brilliant example from 2011 -
0:29:30 > 0:29:33studio pottery with a celebrated name.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37It certainly got Anita fired up.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41I absolutely love
0:29:41 > 0:29:43this wonderful big pot.
0:29:43 > 0:29:48- Oh, that makes two of us. - Tell me, where did you get it?
0:29:48 > 0:29:51It was a gift from my grandmother when she died
0:29:51 > 0:29:52and it was left for me.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55It is a big studio pot.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59That means that it wasn't factory made or mass-produced -
0:29:59 > 0:30:03it was produced in a small studio or workshop.
0:30:03 > 0:30:08And every pot that they put out was an individual piece.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11It is the studio of Charles Brannam.
0:30:12 > 0:30:17Charles Brannam was one of the great potters of the late 19th,
0:30:17 > 0:30:19early 20th century.
0:30:19 > 0:30:25His father owned a pottery who made in the main utilitarian wares.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29Very plain pots, household stuff, very boring stuff.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33But Charles was an artistic child
0:30:33 > 0:30:38and he persuaded his father to give him studio space.
0:30:38 > 0:30:44When we look at the decoration here, we see these almost stylised fish.
0:30:44 > 0:30:50They have made this pattern or this image by scraping out the clay
0:30:50 > 0:30:56while it was still wet to make the lines which form up the pattern.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00And this was very typical of this studio or workshop.
0:31:00 > 0:31:05Individual studios would crop up where we had craftsmen
0:31:05 > 0:31:11and artists rebelling against the mechanisation of the industrial age
0:31:11 > 0:31:17and wanting to get back to the individual,
0:31:17 > 0:31:21the skill and the craft of the individual.
0:31:21 > 0:31:26And Charles Brannam's studio pottery was one of these,
0:31:26 > 0:31:28and thank goodness for them
0:31:28 > 0:31:30when we look at what they were making.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32What did you like about it?
0:31:32 > 0:31:35First of all, as you say, the feel and the colours.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38As a child, I don't know, it was just so different.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41- As a child, can you remember...? - Yes, the fish.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44And sometimes they would scowl at me.
0:31:44 > 0:31:49- Yes.- This one looks like a glaring fish, doesn't it?
0:31:49 > 0:31:53Handmade objects have the life
0:31:53 > 0:31:56breathed into them by the artist.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00It's his thoughts going on to the object.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04And for me, that is the essence
0:32:04 > 0:32:08and the pinnacle of good work.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12I would've put a value of between £100 and £200.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15It is fairly low and fairly wide,
0:32:15 > 0:32:21but I think a collector would be prepared to pay £100 for that.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23I think it is certainly worth that.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27But what did those in the saleroom think?
0:32:29 > 0:32:32A lovely, large stoneware vase by Charles Brannam.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36I've got two commission bids at 100, starts me straight in.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38- Yes!- Yes, that's good.- Yes!
0:32:38 > 0:32:43Ten will go. At 100. 110. 120.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47130. 140. 190. 200.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49- Yes, go.- 220.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53- 240. At £240.- We'll take that.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57At £240 for the last time...
0:32:57 > 0:33:02Yes! £240. Somebody out there really wanted that.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05Anita knew that the collectors would be interested in that piece
0:33:05 > 0:33:07of Brannam pottery.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10But does a good name always guarantee success?
0:33:10 > 0:33:13Have a look at the vase here.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16And here we go - CH Brannam of Barum.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19- Good.- And he has set up the part of the factory that
0:33:19 > 0:33:23was in charge of doing this what we call sgraffito decoration.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26I thought the vase was really boldly decorated,
0:33:26 > 0:33:30so it really struck me as a strong design, strong colour.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33Good strong bit of studio pottery.
0:33:33 > 0:33:34I mean, I can sort of see that...
0:33:34 > 0:33:38If it's a perfect piece, fetching at sort of between £150
0:33:38 > 0:33:40and £250, that sort of level.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43But because of the damage, I'm going to say to you...
0:33:43 > 0:33:46Can I sort of tuck it at about £80 to £100?
0:33:46 > 0:33:50Studio pottery is really driven by makers and designers.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54So, did auctioneer Claire Rawle share Will's enthusiasm
0:33:54 > 0:33:56for this damaged pot?
0:33:59 > 0:34:02This is the Brannam Barum pottery vase,
0:34:02 > 0:34:04designed by Frederick Brannam.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06I think with Brannam,
0:34:06 > 0:34:08you almost expect a bit of damage.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11I do collect it myself, and you sort of accept the fact.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13Start away here £45.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17At 45. Do I see 50 anywhere? At 45 it is, then.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19Come on.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21You're sure? 45 with me, then.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23No, that has to stay with me, ladies and gentlemen.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25No, they were sitting on their hands.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28Maybe all the locals have already got enough, I don't know.
0:34:28 > 0:34:29A few years ago,
0:34:29 > 0:34:32Brannam or Barum pottery was making a lot of money.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35It is like a lot of things, it has dropped. And I wasn't sure
0:34:35 > 0:34:37that the colour didn't put people off.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40It is not a traditional colour for that factory.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44What would Claire's advice be for Brannam collectors?
0:34:44 > 0:34:49Go for the pieces that with the deeper colours - the deep blues,
0:34:49 > 0:34:51the deep purples. This had the right decoration on it.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54It had a fish on it, that is very popular.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56But I think go for the darker colours.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00The Brannam Pottery stopped producing in 2005.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02When a factory has closed,
0:35:02 > 0:35:05it obviously means they are not producing any more wares,
0:35:05 > 0:35:09so in that instance, if there is a finite supply of something,
0:35:09 > 0:35:12then of course, they're going to be more valuable than something
0:35:12 > 0:35:14they are still making today.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18But if Brannam is it your thing, what else is worth your vote?
0:35:18 > 0:35:23Artists like Lucy Rie, Hans Coper, Shoji Hamada,
0:35:23 > 0:35:25Bernard Leach, of course.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27If you just learn those, you won't go far wrong.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31Well, with studio pottery, there are some of the big names
0:35:31 > 0:35:33that maybe some of the viewers would have heard of,
0:35:33 > 0:35:35such as Bernard Leach, of course, everyone has heard of.
0:35:35 > 0:35:40Alan Caiger-Smith, again, producing wares that are very collectable.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44If you come across any with those stamped on the bottom, snap it up.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46Rarity, name and design.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49James Lewis was lucky to discover all three on a sunny day
0:35:49 > 0:35:52back in 2010.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56If you were a lady of some social standing
0:35:56 > 0:35:57in the Edwardian period,
0:35:57 > 0:35:59this is the sort of bottle that would have adorned
0:35:59 > 0:36:04your dressing table, containing the finest French fragrances.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07The engraving in this glass is just phenomenal.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09It's just beautiful quality.
0:36:09 > 0:36:15Stourbridge was at the heart of English glassmaking industry.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18It is of wonderful quality.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21And it is likely to be by a factory that became
0:36:21 > 0:36:24known as Royal Brierley in 1919.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28Just look at the quality there of these individually
0:36:28 > 0:36:30hand-cut flower heads.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32And the stylised leaves.
0:36:32 > 0:36:36And the lovely quality of decoration all the way around.
0:36:36 > 0:36:41It was wheel-engraved, so... And some of it was acid etch,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44but these were engraved and then polished, so the piece would be
0:36:44 > 0:36:49held against a grinding wheel and each piece polished out.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51The work is fantastic.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53Then you go to the cover.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56This is known as repousse work, which is embossed
0:36:56 > 0:36:58from one side to another.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02There is a little button on the front. If we open that...
0:37:02 > 0:37:03- It's quite tight.- There we are.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05Now, if you look at the underside,
0:37:05 > 0:37:09the underside is the exact opposite of the decoration we see above.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13So it has been hammered through rather than cast in a mould.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17- Have you noticed the initials there? - I noticed that, yeah.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19- WG.- Well, it is WC...
0:37:19 > 0:37:21- Ah, WC.- C?
0:37:21 > 0:37:25- WC - William Cummins.- All right.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28Very nice silversmith from the early 20th century.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32A piece like that would certainly take a decent period of time.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36How quickly would it take? It depends how quick the workman was
0:37:36 > 0:37:40and, I guess, whether he was being paid per hour or per piece.
0:37:40 > 0:37:45An everyday silver-top scent bottle is worth £40 to £60,
0:37:45 > 0:37:49- something like that. - Yeah.- This one...
0:37:49 > 0:37:52I think is worth three or four times that.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55- I think we ought to put 100 to 150 on it.- Really?
0:37:55 > 0:37:58I think it is very pretty. And do you know?
0:37:58 > 0:38:01I would say that if it didn't make that 100, 150, just keep it,
0:38:01 > 0:38:03it doesn't matter.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05- I'd rather see it not sell. - Oh, yeah.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07Than see it sell for less than that.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11One of the finest scent bottles that I have ever sold from this period
0:38:11 > 0:38:14was by the great jeweller
0:38:14 > 0:38:17from the Russian court, Carl Faberge.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21Anything by the master Carl Faberge will fetch a premium.
0:38:21 > 0:38:26In 2012, this wonderful gold-mounted smoky quartz perfume bottle
0:38:26 > 0:38:29went for nearly £30,000.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33We didn't expect to reach quite those heady heights, though.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40This Stourbridge-style silver-mounted scent bottle.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44Lots of interest in this. £100. On my right, at 100.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48Anyone going on at £100?
0:38:48 > 0:38:51- Quality always sells, doesn't it?- It does.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55I think £100 was a disappointing result.
0:38:57 > 0:38:58Was I just over-optimistic?
0:39:00 > 0:39:01Maybe I was just wrong.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06Not to worry, James - some you win, some you lose.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08At least the bidder got a real bargain.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12And at least you didn't have to work as hard as Thomas,
0:39:12 > 0:39:15who ended up with a real handful.
0:39:15 > 0:39:16What, are you pulling this?
0:39:16 > 0:39:19- Are you doing some of the work? - I'm letting you do it all.
0:39:19 > 0:39:20All right, stay here.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23This carved Cupid,
0:39:23 > 0:39:26sleeping Cupid, I don't think I could have lifted it on my own.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30It was that heavy. That's why it came in on the wheels.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32It was from a house that was bought,
0:39:32 > 0:39:34and it was left in the garden, by the pond.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38- Really?- Just left there.- It is what I believe to be carved marble.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42The reason why I believe it to be carved marble is just here.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44We can see the marble coming through.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47And it has been very well weathered.
0:39:47 > 0:39:52So this is a hand-carved piece. This is not done by a machine.
0:39:52 > 0:39:56It would have been a sculptor chipping away at the marble
0:39:56 > 0:40:00with his chisel and his hammer, working extremely hard.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03And then, once he has done that, rubbing it down, polishing it.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07When it was new, it was probably like the surface of a pearl,
0:40:07 > 0:40:09with that shimmer.
0:40:09 > 0:40:14Cupid has wings. The bow has been discarded here.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18And his quiver of arrows is covered.
0:40:18 > 0:40:24So, from an allegorical perspective, I think the story is that Cupid
0:40:24 > 0:40:29is sleeping and the abandonment of pleasures in one's life.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31- That's sad, isn't it?- It is sad.
0:40:31 > 0:40:36He had had enough of making love, you know, between people.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39He was having a rest before he went off on his next quest
0:40:39 > 0:40:40and shot his arrows.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43So I quite like the story behind it as well.
0:40:43 > 0:40:44- 19th century.- OK.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48Carved in, I suppose, 1860, I would say.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50Michelangelo carved cupids in marble -
0:40:50 > 0:40:52you can see them all around Rome and Florence.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Caravaggio painted them in the 17th century.
0:40:55 > 0:41:00So, this is definitely a 19th-century copy of.
0:41:00 > 0:41:05It this had come in dirty but perfect...
0:41:05 > 0:41:09So, if it had been covered in all this filth,
0:41:09 > 0:41:12that would have made it really special.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15That would have been really, really hot to trot.
0:41:15 > 0:41:16I would've put a couple of thousand on it.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19Have you got any idea of value?
0:41:19 > 0:41:23As long as it covers the cost of the petrol to get here.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25It will do more than cover the petrol.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29- I would put a value of £100 to £200. - Fantastic, yep.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31- Shall we get it to auction? Shall we?- Let's do it.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33- Come on.- OK, let's go.- I'm pushing!
0:41:35 > 0:41:39I won't ask the porter to carry it. It is the lying marble figure.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42But there it is. What about 150 for it?
0:41:42 > 0:41:44Yes, 150. 200 now.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48And 210. And 20 and 30 perhaps.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51At £220. 230 in the room, then.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55And I am going to sell it for £230.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59A flurry of activity settling on £230. That is a good result.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02- It is a brilliant result. - Absolutely brilliant.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04I think, if you are relaxed about an object
0:42:04 > 0:42:06and you put it up for sale and you say,
0:42:06 > 0:42:09"You know, let's not put a reserve on,
0:42:09 > 0:42:11"the gods out there will look after you."
0:42:11 > 0:42:13And they did this time.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19Handmade ceramics is a popular collecting field.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22One of the best-known of the Arts and Crafts ceramicists
0:42:22 > 0:42:23was William De Morgan,
0:42:23 > 0:42:27who drew his design inspirations from times gone by.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31One of his many devoted admirers was David Barby.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36These are absolutely superb examples
0:42:36 > 0:42:39of a major potter of the 19th
0:42:39 > 0:42:41and early 20th century -
0:42:41 > 0:42:43William De Morgan.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46Like David, Anita is also a big fan.
0:42:46 > 0:42:51William De Morgan was one of the most important potters
0:42:51 > 0:42:54in the Arts and Crafts movement.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58He was a close associate of William Morris
0:42:58 > 0:43:02and the other pre-Raphaelites.
0:43:02 > 0:43:04They're important because not only were they William De Morgan,
0:43:04 > 0:43:09but they are both different in technique of decoration.
0:43:09 > 0:43:13This one is a rich, ruby lustre.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16Gorgeous example of his early works.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18This is more in the Persian palette -
0:43:18 > 0:43:23so we have got these rich turquoises, purples and greens.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25Both subject matters are galleons.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28He made various wares.
0:43:28 > 0:43:33He made a wonderful chargers. He made wonderful pots.
0:43:33 > 0:43:39But he is perhaps best known for the tiles that he made.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42And these tiles were used to decorate our houses,
0:43:42 > 0:43:47our fireplaces, to make wonderful, big panoramic scenes on.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50So he was a man of great importance.
0:43:50 > 0:43:54William De Morgan established three small potteries,
0:43:54 > 0:43:58producing similar wares, not just tiles, but also vases,
0:43:58 > 0:44:04large chargers, which were for the decoration of fairly wealthy homes.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06And it covers a period of Arts and Crafts
0:44:06 > 0:44:10right through to the earlier part of 20th century.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13The most important thing about these tiles
0:44:13 > 0:44:17is the wonderful hand decoration.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21And that really is what makes them superb.
0:44:21 > 0:44:27The depiction of the subjects, the way that the material was handled.
0:44:27 > 0:44:31All of these things make these tiles really quite superb.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34I thought they were the best of what I have got, actually.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37The colouring and the detail on them,
0:44:37 > 0:44:41just seem to stand out against whatever else I've got.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43These are absolutely stunning.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46We were taken away from the mass production,
0:44:46 > 0:44:51the machine made into the craftsmen
0:44:51 > 0:44:54and the artist who was hand decorating
0:44:54 > 0:45:00each of these tiles, and, boy, can you tell the difference.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02The price I think they should realise at auction
0:45:02 > 0:45:06is £350 to £500, hopefully more.
0:45:06 > 0:45:08This is billed as the big one, THE big one -
0:45:08 > 0:45:11two William De Morgan tiles brought in by Pat.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14And you have got your granddaughter, Charlotte, here. Lovely name.
0:45:14 > 0:45:16Charlotte, you might witness a bit of history here.
0:45:16 > 0:45:19We might see these tiles really take off big-time,
0:45:19 > 0:45:20that's what I'm hoping.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24We put a valuation of around about £350 to £500 -
0:45:24 > 0:45:25sort of tempting them in, wasn't it?
0:45:25 > 0:45:29I had a confession or I HAVE a confession, Paul.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32I put a price on those that I'd like to have bought them at.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34Wise man.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37But they are going to fetch a lot of money
0:45:37 > 0:45:39because they are absolutely superb.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42When you think in terms of art pottery from the 19th century,
0:45:42 > 0:45:45- the name that comes to your mind immediately is...- William De Morgan.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48William De Morgan, followed by Martin Brothers and so on.
0:45:48 > 0:45:49But William De Morgan is up there.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52Let's hope we can get you four figures.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54This is it, they're going under the hammer now.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57This got as much if not most interest in the sale today.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59The two framed William De Morgan square pottery tiles
0:45:59 > 0:46:01in black frames.
0:46:01 > 0:46:031,800, Margaret, phone.
0:46:03 > 0:46:051,900 in the room.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08£2,000, Margaret's phone.
0:46:08 > 0:46:112,100. 2,200.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14- Fantastic!- 2,300.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17- Look, there's someone.- 2,400.- 2,400!
0:46:17 > 0:46:20- 2,500. - I'm going to need to sit down!
0:46:20 > 0:46:22£2,500.
0:46:22 > 0:46:24These tiles are rare.
0:46:24 > 0:46:27And these were two examples,
0:46:27 > 0:46:30two wonderful examples
0:46:30 > 0:46:36of different periods in De Morgan's potting.
0:46:36 > 0:46:41- Unbelievable. - Everybody done?- No.- At 2,500.
0:46:41 > 0:46:46At 2,500. Tell him to get his trousers on, for heaven's sake.
0:46:46 > 0:46:482,500.
0:46:48 > 0:46:53- In the room, the bid.- Yes! - 2,600. At 2,600.
0:46:53 > 0:46:552,650.
0:46:55 > 0:46:592,650. He has had time. All done.
0:46:59 > 0:47:04- That is incredible. £2,600. - That's amazing!
0:47:04 > 0:47:06Even I'M sitting down now.
0:47:07 > 0:47:13These tiles commanded a wonderful prize at auction
0:47:13 > 0:47:15and deserved every single penny.
0:47:19 > 0:47:22Wow, five times the top end of the estimate -
0:47:22 > 0:47:25what a wonderful Flog It! moment.
0:47:25 > 0:47:28And I'm sure it was the condition of Pat's tiles that sent them
0:47:28 > 0:47:29through the roof.
0:47:29 > 0:47:32Now, if you don't have any William De Morgan tiles hiding
0:47:32 > 0:47:35away at home, what else should you be keeping an eye out for
0:47:35 > 0:47:38when it comes to handcrafted items?
0:47:41 > 0:47:43Studio pottery is a good bet,
0:47:43 > 0:47:48but check with your auction house to see what is hot and what is not.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50Remember these names - Brannam, Elton Ware,
0:47:50 > 0:47:55Bernard Leach, Lucy Rie, Hans Coper and Alan Caiger-Smith.
0:47:58 > 0:48:03Pieces by a factory that closed are limited, making them more desirable.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08Beautiful handmade pieces which demonstrate huge
0:48:08 > 0:48:12amounts of skill can be snapped up for relatively little money.
0:48:12 > 0:48:16So keep your eyes peeled when you're out and about.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19At £100.
0:48:19 > 0:48:21- Quality always sells.- Yes.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24A big name like William De Morgan
0:48:24 > 0:48:28is a clear winner, but be alert for work by his
0:48:28 > 0:48:31Arts and Crafts contemporaries, William Morris, Voysey,
0:48:31 > 0:48:34Ernest Gimson and CR Ashbee.
0:48:36 > 0:48:38And go with your gut feeling.
0:48:38 > 0:48:40If you like it, buy it.
0:48:45 > 0:48:49In the late 19th century, a group of people formed a movement later
0:48:49 > 0:48:52to be known as the Arts and Crafts movement, which championed
0:48:52 > 0:48:57traditional skills and methods to make beautiful handcrafted things.
0:48:57 > 0:48:58Almost at the same time,
0:48:58 > 0:49:01a chap called Edmund Elton discovered a passion
0:49:01 > 0:49:05for pottery just down the road from where Thomas Plant grew up.
0:49:10 > 0:49:12Here we are at Tickenham Church.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14This is the church where I was baptised.
0:49:14 > 0:49:17I may have cried all the way through the service, but my godmother,
0:49:17 > 0:49:20Julia Elton, was here to comfort me.
0:49:20 > 0:49:22Julia Elton has played a huge part in my life.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26Her great grandfather, Sir Edmund Elton,
0:49:26 > 0:49:30was the Baronet of Clevedon Court and a potter.
0:49:30 > 0:49:32The pottery was called Elton Ware.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35Little did I know it at my christening,
0:49:35 > 0:49:38I was surrounded by all this stuff, the Elton pillars,
0:49:38 > 0:49:42the Elton candlesticks, and it has become a huge passion in my life.
0:49:43 > 0:49:47Sir Edmund and his assistants handmade thousands of pots,
0:49:47 > 0:49:50vases, jugs, whatever you can imagine.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52The great thing is, they were all unique because they were handmade,
0:49:52 > 0:49:56thus making them terribly collectable today.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10I am off to catch up with Julia, my godmother,
0:50:10 > 0:50:12and also see lots more of Sir Edmund's work.
0:50:12 > 0:50:14HE RINGS BELL
0:50:17 > 0:50:20- Julia!- Hi!
0:50:22 > 0:50:29Julia, tell me, where does Edmund fit into the family tree
0:50:29 > 0:50:33- and where do you come? - Well, I am his great granddaughter.
0:50:34 > 0:50:40He was the eighth baronet, and, interestingly, his father,
0:50:40 > 0:50:44also an Edmund, who was a bit of a black sheep,
0:50:44 > 0:50:46actually was a very good painter.
0:50:46 > 0:50:50Behind me in this room are hung two very nice oil paintings
0:50:50 > 0:50:51that he did in Italy.
0:50:51 > 0:50:55So the father must have passed down his artistic flair to his son.
0:50:55 > 0:50:56I think very much so,
0:50:56 > 0:51:00because the Eltons generally are not known for their artistic talents.
0:51:00 > 0:51:04We have three pots here on the table. Which is the earliest piece?
0:51:04 > 0:51:07The earliest piece is this rather crude piece here.
0:51:07 > 0:51:12He began just fiddling about with clay and then the glazes, and he used
0:51:12 > 0:51:19to put the pots in the kitchen oven when the cooking had been done.
0:51:19 > 0:51:23You can see, crude as it is, that it has got
0:51:23 > 0:51:28the beginnings of what became so distinctive.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31You have got a piece down here which is an extraordinary piece.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33- Can we have a look at that?- Yes.
0:51:33 > 0:51:37Where did he get his ideas for these shapes?
0:51:37 > 0:51:39Well, they were influenced by the Japanese.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42I mean, this is a very extraordinary piece
0:51:42 > 0:51:44and it is rather Japanese, I think.
0:51:44 > 0:51:50You have got this mythical beast here with horns, teeth,
0:51:50 > 0:51:55but also the mouth of a fish and then the scales of a serpent.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58Yes, and then back to the fish tail at the end.
0:51:58 > 0:52:04From these lovely colours, glazes and extraordinary shapes,
0:52:04 > 0:52:07we have this fabulous gold.
0:52:07 > 0:52:12In about 1902, he begins to think about metallic glazes.
0:52:12 > 0:52:18He is, in fact, as you see with this, putting these slabs of metal.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21Do you think this is almost like an iron glaze on here,
0:52:21 > 0:52:26- to give it this gilt?- Well, it is allegedly gold and platinum.
0:52:26 > 0:52:31- Gold and platinum?- Absolutely. - He didn't scrimp, did he?
0:52:31 > 0:52:35- He didn't scrimp. - He didn't scrimp on this.
0:52:35 > 0:52:41And then, in about 1909, he starts doing what they call crackle,
0:52:41 > 0:52:47- which is wholly metallic glazes.- So this is all gold?- This is all gold.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50Do you think he charged the correct amount for these parts?
0:52:50 > 0:52:52No, I shouldn't think so for a minute.
0:52:52 > 0:52:55I don't think he was really interested in money.
0:52:55 > 0:53:00Certainly, the reason there is such a lot in north Somerset
0:53:00 > 0:53:05is that Sir Edmund himself gave it away to everybody.
0:53:05 > 0:53:09What happened to the pottery and the legacy? What was left?
0:53:09 > 0:53:11Well, mountains of pots.
0:53:11 > 0:53:15Finally, my grandfather took down the kiln and broke up the pottery yard.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18All Sir Edmund wanted to do, as far as I can see, is to be a potter,
0:53:18 > 0:53:22and he completely took his eye off the estate.
0:53:22 > 0:53:28And in 1919, he sold off £73,000 worth of the estate in their money.
0:53:28 > 0:53:31We have always said in the family,
0:53:31 > 0:53:34it is the most expensive pottery that has ever been made.
0:53:43 > 0:53:50It is said, if you dig around you can find shards of Elton pottery.
0:53:50 > 0:53:55Certainly here you have got a bit of the green glaze with the terracotta.
0:53:55 > 0:53:59It is brilliant that you can actually find shards of broken bits
0:53:59 > 0:54:03of pottery, mistakes, still in the path here just digging it up.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05Absolutely fascinating after all these years.
0:54:07 > 0:54:11The sheer volume of Elton Ware produced
0:54:11 > 0:54:13and all the different pieces and styles means
0:54:13 > 0:54:16prices vary from £30-£250.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19But whatever it costs, you can be sure you're getting
0:54:19 > 0:54:24an original from an eccentric whose life's work was potting.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29Edmund Elton, the baronet who had lots of money
0:54:29 > 0:54:31to indulge his passion, to really enjoy potting.
0:54:31 > 0:54:35He enjoyed potting so much he made some great errors
0:54:35 > 0:54:37but also made some great glazes.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40It was so interesting to see the start of British art pottery,
0:54:40 > 0:54:42and he paved the way.
0:54:47 > 0:54:52There is something about handcrafted items, each one of them is unique.
0:54:52 > 0:54:56They have their own personality which gives them extra appeal,
0:54:56 > 0:54:58as Mark Stacey appreciates.
0:54:58 > 0:55:01This, to me, is a very interesting figure.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04We have all seen Royal Doulton and Royal Worcester
0:55:04 > 0:55:07and Coalport porcelain figures which are mass produced.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10This intrigued me because this is handmade.
0:55:10 > 0:55:14And it is signed underneath, Maggie Padgett.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18I don't know very much about Maggie Padgett, but I bought it
0:55:18 > 0:55:20because it just looks very interesting.
0:55:20 > 0:55:26It is very well modelled. You can see instantly this is handmade.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30I mean, the hair is individually done, it is not machine done.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33You haven't got 100 of these coming towards you
0:55:33 > 0:55:35as you are splattering the paint on.
0:55:35 > 0:55:37All these are painted by hand,
0:55:37 > 0:55:41the hands are modelled individually here and placed
0:55:41 > 0:55:45on the long evening gloves that are modelled to look like that.
0:55:45 > 0:55:50The face I think is... There's something sort of naive about it.
0:55:50 > 0:55:52To me, that is what gives it its charm.
0:55:52 > 0:55:56When you look underneath, you can see it is not all finished,
0:55:56 > 0:55:59like a mass-produced figure would be.
0:55:59 > 0:56:03You can see where the potter has moved the clay around.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06I find that really rather charming.
0:56:06 > 0:56:10There is now a collecting field for some of these studio potters
0:56:10 > 0:56:12from the '20s,
0:56:12 > 0:56:17'30s, up to the '50s, because they are becoming identifiable
0:56:17 > 0:56:21and they are becoming more collectable because they are limited.
0:56:21 > 0:56:24You know, there aren't going to be 500 of these figures,
0:56:24 > 0:56:25or 10,000 of these figures.
0:56:25 > 0:56:28Each one also is going to be slightly different
0:56:28 > 0:56:29because it is handmade.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31But I think, to me she appeals,
0:56:31 > 0:56:34because she is a bit more of a one-off.
0:56:42 > 0:56:44If you are a regular viewer,
0:56:44 > 0:56:46you will know how much I adore the handmade.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49I have even had a go myself a few times.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51It's becoming something.
0:56:51 > 0:56:55Pick a little bit up like that and you just start to twist.
0:56:57 > 0:56:59It is nice and bendy, isn't it?
0:56:59 > 0:57:01I'm actually feeling quite nervous.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05And I am always delighted to see your wonderful handmade pieces
0:57:05 > 0:57:08at our valuation days.
0:57:08 > 0:57:11I can feel my heart beat - it's really racing right now.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13I didn't want to put this down.
0:57:13 > 0:57:16You know when you feel something and it touches your soul?
0:57:16 > 0:57:20You can caress wood, you can love wood, it tells a story.
0:57:22 > 0:57:25- You're spot on there, aren't you? - Yes, that was good, wasn't it?
0:57:26 > 0:57:29Some of them can fetch great prices.
0:57:29 > 0:57:35- Sold.- £150. Brilliant.
0:57:35 > 0:57:40Lovely study of The Heavenly Stairs, c1880.
0:57:40 > 0:57:42£500.
0:57:42 > 0:57:46- Happy?- Oh, yes.- That is going to give someone so much pleasure.
0:57:46 > 0:57:48And whether they are by a talented amateur...
0:57:51 > 0:57:53..or professionals at the top of their game,
0:57:53 > 0:57:56I hope you keep them coming in.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03That is it for today's show.
0:58:03 > 0:58:06I hope we have given you some useful pointers and some food for thought.
0:58:06 > 0:58:11So if you're hungry for more, join us next time on Trade Secrets.