0:00:05 > 0:00:08Leicester is a vibrant, multicultural city,
0:00:08 > 0:00:10bursting with life and vitality.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12It has a fascinating array of architecture
0:00:12 > 0:00:14dating right back to the Roman period
0:00:14 > 0:00:17and a 350-year-old history in the textiles industry.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20But there's one thing that might surprise you,
0:00:20 > 0:00:22and I found it here in the city's art gallery and museum.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24It's a unique collection of ceramics
0:00:24 > 0:00:28by one of the world's greatest ever artists, Pablo Picasso.
0:00:28 > 0:00:29Welcome to Flog It!
0:00:50 > 0:00:52It's time to head across town to De Montfort Hall,
0:00:52 > 0:00:54home to our valuation day.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00This venue has been entertaining audiences for 100 years.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04It has played host to such trendsetters as David Bowie
0:01:04 > 0:01:05and Elton John.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09In 1973, Bowie played here to an audience of ardent fans -
0:01:09 > 0:01:12imagine having been there.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Our dedicated followers of Flog It! have come from far and wide today
0:01:15 > 0:01:19to get their antiques and collectables valued by our experts -
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Flog It! fashionista Claire Rawle and Thomas Plant.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26It's the most ghastly box you brought it in, isn't it?
0:01:26 > 0:01:30- Yes, this is what it was donated in. - Get rid of the box.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34- That is lovely and bone-y and China-y and this is more...- Clunky.
0:01:34 > 0:01:35More clunky, yes.
0:01:35 > 0:01:36Give us five.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43Let's not keep this patient crowd waiting any longer, it's now 9.30.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46I think it's time to get the doors open
0:01:46 > 0:01:48and start hunting for some treasures.
0:01:48 > 0:01:49- Are you ready to go in?- Yes!
0:01:51 > 0:01:54There's one chap up there...
0:01:54 > 0:01:56I'm going to go and pick on that chap
0:01:56 > 0:01:58because he's been noisy all morning. Come on.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02- Hello, what's your name? - Barry.- Barry, pleased to meet you.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05- Thank you for coming. Are you by yourself?- No, my wife.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09- Are you keeping him under control? - What, him?!
0:02:09 > 0:02:12We've come for the experience. We've enjoyed every moment.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16You will get the experience, don't you worry. What have you got there?
0:02:16 > 0:02:19- I brought the mother-in-law. - You brought the mother-in-law?
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Right, it is time, as I said earlier, before we got interrupted,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25it's time to get the doors open and get everybody inside.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Are you ready? Yes, come on then.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30There certainly is a raucous crowd here today.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33I hope their antiques match their enthusiasm.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37But before we find out, here's what's coming up on today's show.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40We have got two ornate but very different Chinese items...
0:02:41 > 0:02:44..this elaborate silk outfit...
0:02:44 > 0:02:47and this book of intricate rice paper paintings.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Both beautiful things, but which will be all the rage
0:02:50 > 0:02:52when we put them to the test in the auction room?
0:02:54 > 0:02:57And now the crowd are oohing.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Antiques and fine art everywhere you look.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05We have the most wonderful array of items today, so don't go away
0:03:05 > 0:03:08because I reckon we are going to have one or two big surprises later.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10This next item is a personal favourite.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Thomas just zoomed in on it. Take a look at this.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Tell me about these postcards, where have they been?
0:03:17 > 0:03:19They were my great aunt's.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22She gave them to my mum and then my mum passed them on to me.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Anybody in here family?
0:03:24 > 0:03:28Some of them were sent to my great aunt
0:03:28 > 0:03:33and I do believe there might be one or two in there, seaside ones,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36that we sent to her when I was younger.
0:03:36 > 0:03:42- How long have you had them for? - It must be 15 or 16 years.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44- Are you Leicester people?- We are.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48- We live on the Leicester-Warwickshire border.- Because, interestingly,
0:03:48 > 0:03:50you've got these Leicester First World War postcards,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53which really make it relevant to where we are.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55But you don't know if they are members of your family?
0:03:55 > 0:03:58My grandfather was in the First World War.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02- Do you think one of these are him? - No.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Then you've got this card here, which is a suffragette card.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09- I don't know if it's a play on... I don't understand the joke.- No.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12"A suffragette. Yes. A Cur Hardy."
0:04:12 > 0:04:17And then you've got what scares the living life out of me -
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Leicester Royal Infirmary's X-ray department.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22That looks like a torture chamber.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24It does, you wouldn't like to go there now.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Quite interesting local history.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29And then here, we've got almost a scrapbook.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33You decoupage them on to your screens, furniture
0:04:33 > 0:04:37and throughout the album there are similar scenes.
0:04:37 > 0:04:42- Yes.- The two albums, because you've got the local interest,
0:04:42 > 0:04:44that is the important thing.
0:04:44 > 0:04:50I would have thought an estimate of £70-£90 with a fixed reserve of 50.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54- How does that grab you? - That is fine, thank you.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57- Have you enjoyed your day on Flog It!?- I have enjoyed my day, yes.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59While I was waiting to see you,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02I was showing somebody these postcards and as I flipped them over,
0:05:02 > 0:05:08she recognised the address on the back of one of them
0:05:08 > 0:05:11and she said, "I used to live there."
0:05:11 > 0:05:16And I said, "Really?" And I said, "What was your name?"
0:05:16 > 0:05:21And she told me her name and I said, "We were at junior school together!"
0:05:21 > 0:05:27- Isn't that extraordinary?- 40 years later.- 40 years later. It's amazing.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29You've got a memory on you!
0:05:29 > 0:05:32What a busy and productive day we are having here.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35We've managed to rekindle an old friendship!
0:05:35 > 0:05:39But time is ticking on and, so on to our next lot.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Good morning, Sue, good to see you. Thanks for coming along to Flog It!
0:05:42 > 0:05:44It's fairly self-explanatory what you have brought along,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47a pocket watch and an Albert watch chain.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49What can you tell me about them?
0:05:49 > 0:05:51This was my grandfather's,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54it was presented to him by the Sports Association,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58the CWS, the Co-operative Society in Lowestoft.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02This is an heirloom that we have now got to split four ways
0:06:02 > 0:06:05cos there's four people left of this generation.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08You can't split it, so sell it.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12So often these watches were handed, father to son, down the generations.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14People don't use them any longer,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17so they languish in boxes in cupboards.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20This is really the archetypal gold watch.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Indeed, it is.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25It is a nine-carat case, open-face pocket watch
0:06:25 > 0:06:27with this lovely white enamel dial.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31It's by a firm called Recta, which were Swiss manufacturers,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35like so many of them were, very good movements.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37It's just a lovely watch of its type.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39I guess he probably used to use it, did he?
0:06:39 > 0:06:43He did, I remember as a young child that he always had his waistcoat on
0:06:43 > 0:06:47with his fob watch and he would actually get it out occasionally
0:06:47 > 0:06:50when we were a little bit late, being a bit tardy,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53and he'd get it out and look at it and tap his foot.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56- Did he have it on this chain? - Yes, he did.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Because that's earlier, that's actually Victorian.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04It's what you call a fancy link chain or Albert as they are known.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09And having looked at it, you've got a nine-carat hook there
0:07:09 > 0:07:11and a nine carat T-bar and then a nice seal -
0:07:11 > 0:07:14what they call a swivel seal because it turns round -
0:07:14 > 0:07:17and that's in a nine-carat mount.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22The frustrating is that I think that's made of pinchbeck,
0:07:22 > 0:07:26which was a Victorian metal that was used to replicate gold.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28They used it in a lot of jewellery.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31The trouble is, it's a base metal so it doesn't carry the value of gold.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35What I would suggest is, when it goes forward to being auctioned,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38that we get it tested just to make sure.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Because if it is nine-carat gold,
0:07:40 > 0:07:44it changes the value quite considerably.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47My feeling is we're looking at an estimate of £150-£250,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49that sort of...as a broad estimate.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52I think use the lower estimate as a reserve - 150 -
0:07:52 > 0:07:57perhaps with a bit of discretion. Does that sound OK to you?
0:07:57 > 0:08:00- Yes.- At the end of the day, what else are you going to do with it?
0:08:00 > 0:08:03I know, it could go back in the draw and then my poor daughters
0:08:03 > 0:08:06would have to deal with it later on, so I'll make the decision now.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09It's hard to let go of sentimental things,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13but you just have to be bold and let someone else get enjoyment
0:08:13 > 0:08:16from an item you don't need any more.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Tell me about this lovely outfit, where did it come from?
0:08:20 > 0:08:23It came from my grandad who was in the Royal Navy.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27- He was a chief petty officer.- When was he in the Navy, in the 1920s?
0:08:27 > 0:08:33I believe so, yes. And he was based a lot of the time in China. Shanghai.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35Shanghai?
0:08:35 > 0:08:39Then it passed down to my father, who is 91, still alive, and then to me.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43It's a bit small this hat. This is real human hair.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46But I think, like in all cultures, we have coming of age ceremonies
0:08:46 > 0:08:48such as confirmation, bar mitzvahs,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51and I don't know about the Chinese culture,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54but I would've thought this is a similar sort of thing.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58This butterfly symbol on this beautiful, long overtop or overcoat
0:08:58 > 0:09:01with the long, wide sleeves
0:09:01 > 0:09:04is a symbol of a girl becoming a woman,
0:09:04 > 0:09:08actually growing into the butterfly, growing into her beauty.
0:09:08 > 0:09:14This might be a ceremonial outfit, probably worn once or twice.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18It looks like it's going to be 1900s, 1920s.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21- Where has it been? - It's been packed away, really.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25I talked to my dad recently when I said I was coming here
0:09:25 > 0:09:29- and he said he remembers wearing it as a child.- Really?
0:09:29 > 0:09:33Interestingly, this, I think, is just the overcoat, the over jacket.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35More ceremonial.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40- This is a skirt, but the two don't seem to go together.- Not really.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42The colours are different.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44It's not the oldest thing in the world,
0:09:44 > 0:09:47it's not the most collectable thing in the world,
0:09:47 > 0:09:51but it does have a sense of stature, status, beauty with it.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56This lovely blue in the shot silk and the cuffs.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01I would have thought, at auction today, it is going to be £100.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05- Would you be happy with an estimate of 100-120?- Yes.
0:10:05 > 0:10:11- With a discretionary reserve on it. - Of what, 100?- I would say £80.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13- That's fine.- I'd say 80. And would you come in?
0:10:13 > 0:10:17- Definitely, and I hope to bring my father with me.- Oh, please!
0:10:17 > 0:10:21- That would be amazing.- Yes, and then we would go out for a meal.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24For a Chinese, my friend said, but I don't know about that.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Some intriguing items already valued,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33boxed up and set to be put into auction.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Before we put those valuations to the test,
0:10:35 > 0:10:37there's something I want to show you -
0:10:37 > 0:10:40De Montford Hall's pipe organ, and you cannot miss it.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44ORGAN MUSIC PLAYS
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Here it is. You get some idea of the scale of the thing.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53It's absolutely enormous.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55It's the only surviving example of its kind,
0:10:55 > 0:10:59built by Stephen Taylor and Sons here in Leicester.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02In fact, its many distinguishing features have drawn famous organists
0:11:02 > 0:11:05from all over the world to come and play recitals here.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09One organist from Westminster Abbey said it is the most comprehensive
0:11:09 > 0:11:12and exciting musical instrument in an organ he has ever encountered,
0:11:12 > 0:11:17and more satisfying than playing the organ at Westminster Abbey.
0:11:17 > 0:11:18So there you go.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21No doubt, there is going to be sweet music right now in the auction room
0:11:21 > 0:11:23as we hit those high notes.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Here's a quick recap of what's coming with us.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Let's hope we get plenty of bidders from Leicester
0:11:28 > 0:11:30fighting over the postcards.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33The Chinese outfit is exquisite
0:11:33 > 0:11:36and deserves to be put pride of place somewhere,
0:11:36 > 0:11:38not hidden away out of sight.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Let's wait and see what the auctioneer thinks
0:11:42 > 0:11:44of the pocket watch and Albert.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47If the whole lot is gold, we could be making big money.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Our saleroom today is in Market Harborough,
0:11:51 > 0:11:55a pretty town which had a thriving textile industry all of its own.
0:11:55 > 0:12:00In 1876, Symington's factory began making corsets.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04Just over ten years later, the firm employed around 1,600 people.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Working hard for us today is auctioneer Mark Gilding.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Before the sale, he wasted no time giving his opinion
0:12:12 > 0:12:15on what Sue's pocket watch and Albert were made from.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19We valued this at £150-£250.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23- At the valuation day, we were unsure if this was nine-carat gold.- Yes.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25You've done a lot of research, haven't you?
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Yes, we've had a look at it and I'm confident it is nine-carat gold.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31OK, so what is the new value may on this?
0:12:31 > 0:12:36We spoken to the vendor and we've moved that up to 300-500.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40- I bet that was a nice phone call to make.- They are good ones to make!
0:12:40 > 0:12:43It's worth a lot more than we initially thought.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46- Rather than the other way. - So, with the new value of 300-500,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48fingers crossed this should do somewhere near the top end.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50There is a lot of gold there.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53There is, and these are things that people are looking at
0:12:53 > 0:12:56and buying with confidence.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Collectors buying pocket watches with the knowledge
0:12:58 > 0:13:01that they are underpinned by the value of the gold.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05- Are you keeping them as one lot, or are you separating them?- One lot.
0:13:05 > 0:13:06OK. Much interest at the moment?
0:13:06 > 0:13:09- Have they been picked up and viewed? - They have indeed.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13There could be a nice surprise for everybody later on.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Claire was right to suggest the Albert should be tested.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19A little bit of investigation can pay dividends.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24And now, first under the hammer, the postcard collection.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Could the local connection on our next lot
0:13:26 > 0:13:29help it get away at the top end? We're just about to find out.
0:13:29 > 0:13:30I've been joined by Karen.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33We're just about to put your item under the hammer. I like this.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37We've had one or two surprises in the past with postcards.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40- Let's hope so.- The collectors know what they're looking for.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42They certainly do.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44And it has good Leicestershire connections
0:13:44 > 0:13:47with the First World War Leicestershire Regiment
0:13:47 > 0:13:48and the suffragette card.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54Fingers crossed we get that top end, plus a lot more.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56It's going under the hammer right now. Here we go.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Two albums of postcards and photographs,
0:13:59 > 0:14:03Royal Jubilee foldout charts, sovereigns of England, all sorts.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Lots and lots here for you all to look at.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10Bidding starts here with me at £50.
0:14:10 > 0:14:1560, 70, 80. 90. 100. 110. 120. 130.
0:14:15 > 0:14:20140. 150. 160. 170. 180. 190. 200. 220.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22- Karen, this is flying.- It is.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28I'm out at 240. The bidding is on my left now at 240.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31I said we'd have some surprises with our postcards.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33Selling to the room at £240.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35240! The hammer's gone down.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38We like the sound of that.
0:14:38 > 0:14:39- That's a lot of money.- It is.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43There is commission to pay, 15% plus VAT here, everybody has to pay that,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45but that's a lot more than you were expecting.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48- It is, yes. I'm very pleased. - Happy?- Yes, very happy.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51- Are you going to spend it in the saleroom?- No.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54That takes some willpower!
0:14:54 > 0:14:56There are some great things to be bought at auction
0:14:56 > 0:14:59and I hope this little lot is no exception.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01Well, our next item is certainly rare -
0:15:01 > 0:15:04a little bit of the Orient comes to Leicestershire.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06- Good to see you, Jane.- And you.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Well, we've got a Chinese ceremonial outfit,
0:15:08 > 0:15:10which I believe your father wore.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12He's here today, isn't he? He's just around the corner.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15- Do you want to give him a wave? - Hi, Dad.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17Very hard thing to put a price on.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19It's one of those things where you've just got to
0:15:19 > 0:15:22lose your context of what you've sold similar in the past
0:15:22 > 0:15:24- and have a go.- Yeah.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Anyway, let's find out what the bidders think here, shall we?
0:15:27 > 0:15:29It's quite unusual. This could be a first
0:15:29 > 0:15:32and it's going under the hammer now. Here we go.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Lovely Chinese silk-embroidered costume.
0:15:35 > 0:15:40Interest here and bids start with me on the book at 55.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Straight in at 55.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44£55 I'm bid for the Chinese silk-embroidered costume.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47At 55. 60. 65, I'm bid.
0:15:47 > 0:15:48At 65.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51At 65 bid. Looking for you all in at 65.
0:15:51 > 0:15:5265 the bid is then.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56At 65 and £65...
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Well, I have to withdraw that, pending instructions.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Pass on 258 for now.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. We were close, but not that close.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07He couldn't even use any discretion really -
0:16:07 > 0:16:08we didn't get that bid of 65.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13- It's going home. - It's been fun.- It's been fun.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Such a shame, but the costume may need a specialist sale to
0:16:16 > 0:16:18realise its full potential.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Let's hope Claire has better luck with the pocket watch,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24and the new valuation put on by auctioneer Mark is realised.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28Going under the hammer now, we've got Sue's pocket watch
0:16:28 > 0:16:30with nine-carat gold fob and chain.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Yes, it tested as real gold, so we're happy with that, Sue.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35Quality, quality, quality!
0:16:35 > 0:16:37That's what we like and we're putting it under the hammer,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40and hopefully it's going to get that new top end.
0:16:40 > 0:16:41- Good luck, Sue.- Thank you.
0:16:41 > 0:16:42Look at all these bids.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Well, you can't but I can.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46£500 is my opening bid.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Wow! We are straight in at the top end of the estimate.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52560.
0:16:52 > 0:16:53560 in the room now.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55At 560.
0:16:55 > 0:17:01560 down my left-hand side and I'm all out and selling at £560.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03- GAVEL BANGS - That was just two bids -
0:17:03 > 0:17:05blink and you'll miss it.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Straight in at the top end and another bid of 60 on top.
0:17:08 > 0:17:09- Wow.- Great.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12- Well, someone really wanted that!- They did. Yes.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Well done and thank you for bringing that in.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Thank you for letting me bring it. Really good.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE
0:17:21 > 0:17:24That concludes our first visit to the auction room today -
0:17:24 > 0:17:25so far, so good.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29We are coming back later on in the programme, so don't go away.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Now, we expect to see all kinds of ceramics on the show,
0:17:31 > 0:17:33from all over the world,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36but right now, I'm off to take a look at a collection that could
0:17:36 > 0:17:38surpass all others.
0:17:38 > 0:17:39And the fascinating thing -
0:17:39 > 0:17:42it's been assembled by a legend in his own right.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Most of you would've heard of Lord Richard Attenborough,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58he's one of our greatest and most-renowned film directors.
0:17:58 > 0:17:59What you possibly weren't aware of
0:17:59 > 0:18:03was the fact that he was a lover and collector of fine art.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Richard grew up here in Leicester,
0:18:05 > 0:18:07and as child, along with his brother David,
0:18:07 > 0:18:09they spent many hours here in the city's
0:18:09 > 0:18:11New Walk Museum and Art Gallery.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14And here, David's love for the natural world developed
0:18:14 > 0:18:15and Richard's love for art blossomed.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19His passion culminated in one of the most extraordinary
0:18:19 > 0:18:22collections of Picasso ceramics anywhere in the world,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25and it's housed right here inside, so let's take a look.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Richard Attenborough was a great follower of Picasso's work
0:18:30 > 0:18:33and discovered that he'd also turned his hand to ceramics.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35So in the early 1950s,
0:18:35 > 0:18:39he and his wife Sheila paid their first visit to the Madoura Pottery
0:18:39 > 0:18:43in France where Picasso had been working for several years.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47Picasso was predominantly known as a painter and a sculptor,
0:18:47 > 0:18:51the father of modern art and one of the pioneers of Cubism.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54But towards the later years of his life,
0:18:54 > 0:18:57he had a prolific period producing ceramics.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59In 1946, whilst in Southern France,
0:18:59 > 0:19:04he met the owners of Madoura Pottery, Georges and Suzanne Ramie.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06He was so impressed by their craftsmanship
0:19:06 > 0:19:08that he decided to stay,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11and he worked there for almost 30 years,
0:19:11 > 0:19:13never returning to his homeland, Spain.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16The majority of the collection consists of what is
0:19:16 > 0:19:20referred to as editions and originals impressions.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23These are multiple works that Picasso insisted the pottery
0:19:23 > 0:19:27should produce and sell, inexpensively, in his name.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31The Attenboroughs started with modest purchases,
0:19:31 > 0:19:36leading to a collection totalling around 150 wonderful pieces.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38Each year, the family would holiday in the south of France,
0:19:38 > 0:19:43religiously returning to the pottery to pick up their next purchase.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46It wasn't until 1963 at a private viewing at Madoura,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49that they finally met Pablo Picasso.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55And through the crowd came this enchanting woman,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58and she was bringing somebody by the hand.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01And it was the old man. And I...
0:20:01 > 0:20:06I mean, I didn't faint, but if I'd met Beethoven or
0:20:06 > 0:20:10Shakespeare I couldn't have been more bowled over.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13In 2007, Lord and Lady Attenborough announced that their
0:20:13 > 0:20:15collection of Picasso ceramics
0:20:15 > 0:20:18would be entrusted to the city of Leicester
0:20:18 > 0:20:22to commemorate the lives of their daughter Jane Mary
0:20:22 > 0:20:24and their granddaughter Lucy Elizabeth,
0:20:24 > 0:20:29who sadly perished together during the Asian tsunami of 2004.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35Jane May, curator at the New Walk Museum, is here to tell us
0:20:35 > 0:20:38more about this extraordinary collection.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Why did he get involved with ceramics?
0:20:42 > 0:20:46I think he needed a sort of fresh outlook on life.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50Just after the war, he came down to the south of France,
0:20:50 > 0:20:52wonderful new surroundings,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55and he discovered a wonderful new medium to work in.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57Do you think it was a way of slowing down and relaxing?
0:20:57 > 0:21:00- No, absolutely not. - He was so prolific.
0:21:00 > 0:21:01It was a fresh impetus.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05His first year, he worked on over 600...
0:21:05 > 0:21:07- That is prolific. - ..pieces.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09There's colour,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12there's jokes - you could see he was having fun.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14It kind of revitalised all his work.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Was it really ground-breaking at the time?
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Did he add any new dimension?
0:21:19 > 0:21:24He wasn't the first person who was a fine artist who worked with pottery,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27but he was the first who took it really seriously,
0:21:27 > 0:21:29did it in a big way.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33And because he was coming to it fresh,
0:21:33 > 0:21:37he would suggest or try and do things that nobody ever thought of before.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40He painted owls, he had owl sculptures, he had pet owls.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43They're not a single shape, created from scratch.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48He took a bit of an amorphous shape, which is like an elongated egg,
0:21:48 > 0:21:50as the body of the owl,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54and he took the neck of a jug to make the head of the owl
0:21:54 > 0:21:56and the spout becomes the beak,
0:21:56 > 0:22:00and another one underneath to be the feet - the base that it stands on.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03- So there's lots of parts. - It's a composite.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06So, although they are mass-produced, you are buying a one-off?
0:22:06 > 0:22:10He said at one point that he would love to just load up a donkey
0:22:10 > 0:22:13with panniers of pots and take them off to the market.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15But he knew if he did that, the dealers would come
0:22:15 > 0:22:18and it would turn up in Paris at ten times the price,
0:22:18 > 0:22:20or 100 times the price.
0:22:20 > 0:22:26But he introduced the editions, which are like prints in a work of art
0:22:26 > 0:22:28so that they would be affordable.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Are there any pieces here in the exhibition
0:22:30 > 0:22:33that are solely by his hand?
0:22:33 > 0:22:36There's just one and it's just in this case over here.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40And it's the head of a bullfighter, or a matador,
0:22:40 > 0:22:42which you can hardly see.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44You can just make it out.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47The profile of the nose and so on is carved into the surface.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51So you've got relief, but you've also got added texture on top.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53You've got added texture, you've got colour,
0:22:53 > 0:22:57and he's used the outline of the plate as the bull ring.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01So you've got the sand and the people's faces around the other side.
0:23:01 > 0:23:02It's clever.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06I have to say, one of the reactions of the first people that saw it was,
0:23:06 > 0:23:08"What's that dead rat?"
0:23:08 > 0:23:09PAUL LAUGHS
0:23:09 > 0:23:13So it has, I'm afraid, been the dead rat plate ever since,
0:23:13 > 0:23:14as far as I'm concerned.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16- It puts a smile on your face. - It does.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18And Picasso would have liked that, I'm sure.
0:23:18 > 0:23:19Let's take a walk down there.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22- Which one are you going to point out?- Guess.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25- The one in the middle. - The one in the middle - the face.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29It's part of a series and I think one of the most emotional,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32poignant pieces that he made in his ceramic art.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34For me, less is more.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36I gravitate towards that. It's subtle.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38It's subtle, but it's very clever.
0:23:38 > 0:23:39It's very clever.
0:23:41 > 0:23:46It was made late in his life and the series, really, I think
0:23:46 > 0:23:49has to be interpreted as a meditation on mortality.
0:23:49 > 0:23:55- Right.- The face, that starts off pure and serene and flawless,
0:23:55 > 0:23:57is gradually eaten into -
0:23:57 > 0:24:01you can see it decaying and crumbling and...
0:24:01 > 0:24:04I know he did things like that in his other media,
0:24:04 > 0:24:08but there's a kind of texture to the ceramics.
0:24:08 > 0:24:14You can empathise with the wrinkles and the flaws and the decay.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16If I could pick one to take home,
0:24:16 > 0:24:18and I know I wouldn't be allowed to...
0:24:18 > 0:24:20I shall search you before you go.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22In my Paul dream-world, I think my favourite piece caught my eye
0:24:22 > 0:24:24when I walked in, and it's down that end.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28- Let's take a look. - Let's go and talk about it.
0:24:28 > 0:24:29And it's this one here.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33Again, it's another face on a plate...
0:24:33 > 0:24:35introducing a little bit of colour.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38But why I like this is because I like the use of that lovely
0:24:38 > 0:24:41dark green glaze on that yellow ground.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44It's my favourite too, I have to admit.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47- It's a very happy piece. - We've got good taste!- We have!
0:24:47 > 0:24:51The way he uses the plate as the head and the little horns
0:24:51 > 0:24:53and the pan pipe.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57And it's one of his most traditional pieces in the colouring -
0:24:57 > 0:24:59it's most like ordinary...
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Mediterranean ware.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03That's the colour you find in Mediterranean pottery.
0:25:03 > 0:25:08And this was the very first piece they made as a multiple edition.
0:25:08 > 0:25:09Was it?
0:25:15 > 0:25:17It's incredible to think
0:25:17 > 0:25:20that the enthusiastic passion of Lord Attenborough
0:25:20 > 0:25:24and his family has resulted in such an extraordinary collection.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28And a joy to see the work of one the world's most influential
0:25:28 > 0:25:31and important artists right here in Leicester.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44There's a real buzz here at De Montfort Hall,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47an air of excitement and anticipation.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50You never know what's going to turn up at a valuation day.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Let's catch up with our experts and see what else they've found,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56and hopefully, that one big surprise is just down there.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59And now its over to Thomas,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01who has those Chinese paintings on his table.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07John, tell me about these drawings. I call them rice paper drawings.
0:26:07 > 0:26:08- Yeah.- Where did you get them from?
0:26:08 > 0:26:11It's certainly from my mother's side of the family.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13I think it was from her father's father,
0:26:13 > 0:26:15so my great-grandfather.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Where did he live? Was he a Leicester man?
0:26:17 > 0:26:18No, he lived in London,
0:26:18 > 0:26:24and he actually had a cafe in London in the late 19th century.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26I'm not sure if he travelled
0:26:26 > 0:26:30cos I've got one or two other things, which are slightly Chinese.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Cos these are tourist pieces.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36I mean, they are from the late 19th century...and they're Cantonese.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38So here's a gentleman here in sedan chair...
0:26:38 > 0:26:41- Yeah.- Let's have a look. What else have we got?
0:26:41 > 0:26:44- How many are there? - Looks a bit wistful.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47- Yeah, and there's a band, a procession.- Yeah.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49- The lanterns.- Yes, the lanterns.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Very similar colours to you see on Cantonese porcelain -
0:26:53 > 0:26:57these pinks, these blues, these, you know, high decorations.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00And it's all done just by paint?
0:27:00 > 0:27:03It's all done... Layers and layers of paint, absolutely.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06And it's obviously a procession, a story of something going on.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09So when he would got these, your great-grandfather,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11these could have been almost new.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13Some people say these are mulberry paper,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16so from the mulberry tree itself.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20Obviously, that is where silk is made from, isn't it?
0:27:20 > 0:27:23- It is, yes.- They eat the leaves and produce...- Produce the silk.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26It's very fine paper and tremendously painted,
0:27:26 > 0:27:28and I think quite a porous material -
0:27:28 > 0:27:29every time you paint, it raises up,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32so you've got to paint and paint and paint.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Ever had any thoughts on value of them?
0:27:34 > 0:27:36Not really.
0:27:36 > 0:27:42Not really, because I wasn't too sure exactly how many people
0:27:42 > 0:27:43collected this kind of stuff.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45They are widely collected.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48With the rise in China, these will become more
0:27:48 > 0:27:50and more collectable, definitely.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54And I would have thought that these would be worth...
0:27:54 > 0:27:55about £300-£500.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59Got a bit of worm in this one here, so a bit of damage there.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03If the were big bold single figures of dignitaries
0:28:03 > 0:28:08in ceremonial costumes, et cetera, they'd be worth a lot more.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12I think we're looking at 300-500.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15- Fixed reserve at £300? - Yes, that sounds reasonable to me.
0:28:15 > 0:28:16- Yeah?- Sounds reasonable.- Good.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19I will look forward to seeing them sell at the auction
0:28:19 > 0:28:22- and they might make some more. - Hopefully they do, Tom.
0:28:24 > 0:28:25Aw!
0:28:27 > 0:28:29What a great crowd we have here today.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32I love the people of Leicester, they're so friendly.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34"Liar," someone said!
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Can you remember early this morning, we had someone that was
0:28:37 > 0:28:40giving it all that in the queue as I was doing pieces to camera?
0:28:40 > 0:28:43Well, it's his turn to come round here now and there's an empty seat.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46This is Barry. Aren't you going to take your hat off?
0:28:46 > 0:28:49Does he ever take is hat off when he's at home?
0:28:49 > 0:28:51- No, he goes to bed in it. - He goes to bed in his hat, does he?
0:28:51 > 0:28:54- She's getting her own back now. - Do you want to see what I've got?
0:28:54 > 0:28:57- I want to see what you've got. - I've got that.- OK.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00He's a big old beast, isn't he?
0:29:00 > 0:29:02- There's no name on them.- No!
0:29:02 > 0:29:04I was thinking it might be a bit of Dalton there.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06You're obviously retired now. Leicester born and bred?
0:29:06 > 0:29:09- Leicester born and bred, yes. - What did you do for a living?
0:29:09 > 0:29:11I worked in the hosiery industry.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13- Did you?- Yes, in Leicester.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15It was quite a busy time - worked there 40-odd years.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18Well, it makes sense you worked in the textile industry
0:29:18 > 0:29:20cos it was all based around here - several hundred factories.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22What exactly did you do?
0:29:22 > 0:29:24I was actually, for years and years,
0:29:24 > 0:29:27what you call a sock examiner.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30We were responsible for examining the socks,
0:29:30 > 0:29:33pairing them and grading them.
0:29:33 > 0:29:34I guess in those days they made
0:29:34 > 0:29:36a left foot and a right foot, a proper pair.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39- You're right there. - Yeah, but they don't nowadays.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41- No, they just chuck 'em in a bag. - Slap them in.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44- How did you two meet then? - We met at the youth club.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46- Youth club.- Youth club.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48- That was 50-odd years ago. - 50-odd years ago?
0:29:48 > 0:29:51- And you're still happily married? - No.
0:29:51 > 0:29:52I am.
0:29:54 > 0:29:55Course I am.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57Course you are, you wouldn't joke like that otherwise!
0:29:57 > 0:30:00I bet he keep you entertained.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02You have, you've entertained us.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04No, your entertainment's been beautiful.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06Thanks, Barry. It's nice to get into
0:30:06 > 0:30:09the crowd though and meet some great local characters.
0:30:09 > 0:30:10Now it's Claire's turn.
0:30:10 > 0:30:14Hazel has brought in a box full of Victorian gems.
0:30:14 > 0:30:15- Hello, Hazel.- Hello.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18It's nice to see you. Glad you came in today.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20These are rather pretty.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23- Are they family ones? Things you've had in the family for a while?- Yes.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25Right, OK. So what's the history behind them?
0:30:25 > 0:30:28My father had them and I inherited them.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30Do you think he inherited them from his father?
0:30:30 > 0:30:31I would think so, yes.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35- And he would be likely to have worn them.- Yes, yes, indeed.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37Your father didn't wear them, you don't think?
0:30:37 > 0:30:40- I don't think so, no. - Right. OK.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43- So they've just been sitting in a drawer doing nothing?- Yeah.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46Yeah, yeah. Cos of course we know what they are,
0:30:46 > 0:30:47but not everybody will, will they?
0:30:47 > 0:30:50Cos they're a bit...something from the past.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52Something from a rather elegant past.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54They're known as dress studs,
0:30:54 > 0:30:56and we've got matching cufflinks.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58These wouldn't have just been dressing for dinner,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01been going out to a ball or something smart,
0:31:01 > 0:31:05and you had the white dress shirt with the stiffened front
0:31:05 > 0:31:06that had no buttons in it.
0:31:06 > 0:31:12And so you had to attach buttons and this is exactly what you used.
0:31:12 > 0:31:17These are particularly decorative cos they're nine-carat gold,
0:31:17 > 0:31:20set with mother of pearl and turquoise,
0:31:20 > 0:31:23which was a popular combination cos it's very attractive without
0:31:23 > 0:31:25looking too feminine.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28And all these fittings at the back are what you used to fit
0:31:28 > 0:31:32the button, and then you put your button through your dress front.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34You've seen the comedy sketch where the fellow's standing there
0:31:34 > 0:31:38and suddenly it winds itself and slaps him in the face!
0:31:38 > 0:31:39Well, it was a starched front
0:31:39 > 0:31:43and it had to be kept down to be worn under the black tails.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45So that's what this would have been used for.
0:31:45 > 0:31:50And... Well, no-one uses them today, but they are very decorative,
0:31:50 > 0:31:53and there are cufflinks. So we have a pair of cufflinks,
0:31:53 > 0:31:56and the various buttons are different sizes,
0:31:56 > 0:31:59and sadly, one has disappeared,
0:31:59 > 0:32:01which is why the little fellow's been turned over.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04So there would have been another - a fourth of those.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07But because they screw in to the front,
0:32:07 > 0:32:10they're ever so easy to lose.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12So very nice.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15Lovely case - its original case, obviously.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19Name in there is good - that's Bensons in London.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22Usually associate that name with clock and watches,
0:32:22 > 0:32:24they were makers of clocks and watches,
0:32:24 > 0:32:26but good retailers as well.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28So this was obviously an expensive thing in its day,
0:32:28 > 0:32:30might have been given as a gift, perhaps,
0:32:30 > 0:32:34to a husband or an intended.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37- Have you thought of value on them at all?- I have no idea at all.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40Yeah. Right. OK.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44I think a sensible sale estimate would be between £70 and £100.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47I've seen them selling for that quite regularly.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50And I would suggest putting a fixed reserve of £60 on them -
0:32:50 > 0:32:54just pitch it below the lower estimate. How does that sound?
0:32:54 > 0:32:56- Yes, fine. Yes.- Excellent.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58And now for something I absolutely adore.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04Well, the call went out, we needed furniture on the show,
0:33:04 > 0:33:07and Pat hasn't let us down.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10Thank you so much, my darling, I'll give you a kiss for this one.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12Are you sure you want to sell this?
0:33:12 > 0:33:13Well, yes, I do.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16Let's talk about it first cos you might just change your mind.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19Tell me about its history - how did you acquire it?
0:33:19 > 0:33:22It's come through the family.
0:33:22 > 0:33:27It was my grandmother's, that I know of, it may have dated before that.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30And then it was my mum's and now it's mine.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34It spent its Second World War in the air raid shelter in the garden.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38- Oh, did it?!- Yes, and the neighbours used to play cards on it.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41Now, you nearly gave it away, you see - playing cards on it,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44cos there's a little surprise.
0:33:44 > 0:33:45Wait for this.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47This top swivels...
0:33:49 > 0:33:54..lots of counters would be in here...and then that opens up.
0:33:54 > 0:33:58And there you have it - chess, backgammon and crib.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02Again, figured walnut throughout, original hinges,
0:34:02 > 0:34:03a choice of woods,
0:34:03 > 0:34:08variegated hues exploding all over the place in a variety of colours.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10If I close that up, it's got all those
0:34:10 > 0:34:14characteristics of something that's been used and loved and polished,
0:34:14 > 0:34:18and bless you for that, cos I think that's slightly added to the value.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21- Yeah.- You've given this piece of furniture a personality.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23It does date... It is English.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25It's English, yes.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29It's English and it dates from around about 1880/1890.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31When you look at the construction of this,
0:34:31 > 0:34:35you can see it's got this lovely figured walnut grain to it.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37Can you see it's quarter veneered?
0:34:37 > 0:34:39You can just see the joining line there.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42And these veneers are very thin slices of walnut
0:34:42 > 0:34:44and they've been cut and opened up,
0:34:44 > 0:34:46which is what we call a butterfly technique,
0:34:46 > 0:34:50or bookmatched, so you can see these little tiny designs,
0:34:50 > 0:34:52- almost like butterfly wings. Can you see them there?- Yes.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56Sadly, this whole thing has opened up over the period of time and
0:34:56 > 0:35:01you've got one great big split down the grain - that can be sorted out,
0:35:01 > 0:35:02- but it will cost money.- Yeah.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04So that will devalue it. But do you know something?
0:35:04 > 0:35:07If I owned this piece, I wouldn't get it fixed.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09I could live with that!
0:35:09 > 0:35:13This is definitely a city piece, I'd say a London piece,
0:35:13 > 0:35:16and this would have belonged to a middle-class family,
0:35:16 > 0:35:21a well-educated couple, living in a townhouse in London.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23- That's where it would have belonged. - That's where it came from.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26- Does that sound right? - It sounds right.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28What's your bottom line? If you want to get rid of it,
0:35:28 > 0:35:30what would you be happy with?
0:35:30 > 0:35:34I think if it was less than 250, I'd take it home.
0:35:34 > 0:35:35OK. I think it'll sell at 250.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38If we put it in a 250, fixed reserve,
0:35:38 > 0:35:41and say 250-350, it will sell.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44And because it is a games table and not a work table,
0:35:44 > 0:35:47I think it's got something more going for it. Don't you?
0:35:47 > 0:35:48I'll just keep my fingers crossed.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51I think whoever buys it will only buy it
0:35:51 > 0:35:53if they're prepared to look after it.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55- Yeah, they will. Someone will love that.- Yes.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58What a wonderful piece of craftsmanship to end with.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01That's it for out valuation day here at De Montfort Hall,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04and what a fabulous time we have had.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07But right now, the stage is set for our final visit to
0:36:07 > 0:36:10Gildings auction rooms, and here's what's going under the hammer.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12It's a real mixed bag.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14The Chinese paintings are of such fine quality,
0:36:14 > 0:36:17let's hope the bidders like them.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20The dress studs might not be worn by many any more,
0:36:20 > 0:36:23but they are genuinely gorgeous.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27And Pat's table - my favourite thing at the entire valuation day!
0:36:29 > 0:36:31First up though, it's the studs.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35I've just been joined by Hazel and Claire,
0:36:35 > 0:36:37and going under the hammer we have...
0:36:37 > 0:36:40- Is it great-grandfather or grandfather?- Grandfather.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42Grandfather's shirt studs -
0:36:42 > 0:36:45mother of pearl and turquoise - these are really interesting.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48Not come across anything like that before. And some cufflinks.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51It just goes to show how posh the gents were back then,
0:36:51 > 0:36:54and what they wore to work. Did he work in the City of London?
0:36:54 > 0:36:56He was a solicitor in London.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59There you go. You can tell a man by the way he dresses, can't you?
0:36:59 > 0:37:02- Indeed.- I don't know what corduroy says about me!
0:37:02 > 0:37:04You wouldn't wear them to work though, would you?
0:37:04 > 0:37:06As a solicitor, maybe.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09Yes, impressing a client, maybe out at dinner or something.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12We're going to put that value to the test - what are we looking for?
0:37:12 > 0:37:14- 70-100.- OK. Hopefully we'll get that top end.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16Here we go.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19Set of gent's raised-metal dress studs, cufflinks and buttons,
0:37:19 > 0:37:21turquoise and mother of pearl faced.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24Lovely set and in a nice box as well - these lot 479.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28Had a good look at these yesterday. At £60 I'm bid.
0:37:28 > 0:37:29I'm bid at £60.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32- 5. 70.- Hazel, come on, we've got £70.
0:37:32 > 0:37:33£70. 5. 80.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38£80. 80 now against you online at £80.
0:37:38 > 0:37:4185. 90.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44Still against you online at £90. 90.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46Fair warning on the internet - I'm out, you're in.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48Selling here on the book at £90.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50£90. Hammer's gone down.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53- I'm pleased. Are you pleased? - Yes, yes.- Yeah, brilliant.
0:37:53 > 0:37:54There is commission to pay -
0:37:54 > 0:37:57it's 15% here plus the VAT on the hammer price -
0:37:57 > 0:38:00but that's still a little bit of spending money for you.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04- Yeah. Go out and spend it now and have lunch.- Treat yourself, yeah!
0:38:04 > 0:38:06Now it's my turn to be the expert.
0:38:07 > 0:38:12So far, so good, which brings us that wonderful Victorian games table
0:38:12 > 0:38:16that I put a value of £250-£300 on, belonging to Pat.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18It's been loved and cherished by the family,
0:38:18 > 0:38:21it's been down the air raid shelter during World War II,
0:38:21 > 0:38:24and now it's ended up here in the sale room in Market Harborough.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26It's had quite a life, hasn't it?
0:38:26 > 0:38:29Anyone can put a table like this to good use
0:38:29 > 0:38:31and it will suit any interior.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34OK, it's going under the hammer - this is it.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38Bids start at £210. 220.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40220 I'm bid now. At 220.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42At £220. I'm bid at 220.
0:38:42 > 0:38:43230. 240.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47240. Bid at 240. 250.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50At 250, bid at 250. 260 do I see?
0:38:50 > 0:38:53At 250. We're with the telephone now at 250,
0:38:53 > 0:38:55and I will sell, make no mistake.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58Away then at £250...
0:38:58 > 0:38:59No-one's challenged that bid.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01Someone on the phone could have gone a bit more,
0:39:01 > 0:39:05- but no-one challenged it, but it's gone. £250.- Thank you, Paul.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07It's gone within estimate.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10Well, it's gone at the bottom end of the estimate,
0:39:10 > 0:39:13but I have high hopes for our next lot.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16We have a little treat for you right now, something that's very unusual,
0:39:16 > 0:39:18and I've not seen anything like this on Flog It!
0:39:18 > 0:39:20for years and years and years.
0:39:20 > 0:39:2315 Chinese rice drawings, in an album, belonging to John,
0:39:23 > 0:39:26and I think those are absolute quality.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28Very hard to put a value on, Thomas.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30- Really hard.- Very, very hard. 300-500 you've given...
0:39:30 > 0:39:33There's a fashion for them now though and they're quite desirable.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36Yeah, these will be split up and mounted and, hopefully,
0:39:36 > 0:39:38on the wall where they belong.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41- Chinese people reclaiming their heritage?- Exactly, yes!
0:39:41 > 0:39:42That's where all the money's going.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45John, you've had them a long time, why are you selling them now?
0:39:45 > 0:39:49Because I'm not doing anything with them, so they might as well be sold.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51Let's find out what the bidders think.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53It's going under the hammer right now.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56Really fantastic Chinese watercolours on rice paper.
0:39:56 > 0:40:01And bidding opens with Mary on the telephone at £200.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03At 220.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07220, I'm bid now. 220. 230.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09I'll take that at 230.
0:40:09 > 0:40:10240. 250.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14260. 270 online.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16280. 290.
0:40:19 > 0:40:20300.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22320 online.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25340.
0:40:25 > 0:40:26360.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28It's a nice slow, steady climb.
0:40:30 > 0:40:31400.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36420.
0:40:36 > 0:40:37440.
0:40:39 > 0:40:40460.
0:40:42 > 0:40:43480.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47500.
0:40:49 > 0:40:50And 50.
0:40:52 > 0:40:53That's-that's-that's bold.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55600 on the telephone.
0:40:55 > 0:40:56And 50.
0:40:59 > 0:41:00700.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02- 700.- And 50.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04- And 50.- 800.
0:41:05 > 0:41:06And 50.
0:41:09 > 0:41:10900.
0:41:11 > 0:41:13And 50. 1,000.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15John, this is very, very good, isn't it?
0:41:15 > 0:41:17- This is very, very good. - You must be enjoying this.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19This is...yeah, more like it.
0:41:19 > 0:41:211,200.
0:41:22 > 0:41:231,300.
0:41:24 > 0:41:261,400.
0:41:27 > 0:41:28£1,500.
0:41:30 > 0:41:311,600, I'm bid.
0:41:32 > 0:41:341,700 online.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37£1,800 with the telephone.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39More and more!
0:41:39 > 0:41:41£2,000.
0:41:41 > 0:41:42This is very exciting.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45It's gone very, very quiet - this is what an auction's all about.
0:41:45 > 0:41:462,100.
0:41:49 > 0:41:512,200.
0:41:54 > 0:41:562,300.
0:42:00 > 0:42:012,400 with the telephone.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05- Yes! Yes! Yes! - 2,500 online.
0:42:08 > 0:42:112,600. Thank you - with the telephone.
0:42:14 > 0:42:162,600 on the telephone then.
0:42:16 > 0:42:202,600. Looks like the internet's...given in.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22It's with the telephone then, last chance.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24Fair warning at...
0:42:24 > 0:42:252,700 online.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29£2,700, and now the crowd are oohing!
0:42:32 > 0:42:342,700.
0:42:34 > 0:42:39The telephone's beaten then. We're online bidding at £2,700.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42And the hammer going down, and it's gone down. That's a sold sound!
0:42:42 > 0:42:45Wow! You've got a round of applause, John.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47Yes, thank you.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49- Coffee's on me! - In your wildest dreams,
0:42:49 > 0:42:52you didn't think that was going to happen here, did you?
0:42:52 > 0:42:54- Definitely not, no. - No.- No.- No.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56What were you expecting, top-end?
0:42:56 > 0:43:00OK, I went with Thomas' estimate and perhaps a bit more if I was lucky.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03- £600 or £700. - 600, yeah. Yes.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05That was fabulous, Thomas, absolutely fabulous.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09Absolutely fabulous. It just goes to show, they're really fashionable
0:43:09 > 0:43:12and they're being repatriated, just as you said.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14I told you there was going to be a big surprise,
0:43:14 > 0:43:16it was worth waiting for, and I hope you enjoyed that
0:43:16 > 0:43:19because we certainly enjoyed presenting it.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21Sadly, we've run out of time here in Market Harborough,
0:43:21 > 0:43:25so from John, Thomas and myself and all the crew here,
0:43:25 > 0:43:27see you next time for many more surprises.