0:00:02 > 0:00:05We start today's show at Breamore House in Hampshire,
0:00:05 > 0:00:09an Aladdin's cave of art and treasure through four centuries.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12From its Tudor Great Hall, to its Georgian Blue Room,
0:00:12 > 0:00:17this is a testament to preserving the past.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20And of course, "Flog It!" relies on people having an interest
0:00:20 > 0:00:24and a passion for antiques and collectables, whether it's been
0:00:24 > 0:00:28a prized find or something that's been handed down though the generations.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Today on "Flog It!" we're going to bring you some of the best
0:00:31 > 0:00:34items we've found from our travels around the country.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58We've travelled across Britain in search of exceptional stories
0:00:58 > 0:01:00and objects to take to auction
0:01:00 > 0:01:03and we've met some rather special people along the way.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07At Wrest Park, a Grade I listed mansion is surrounded by
0:01:07 > 0:01:09an early-18th-century garden
0:01:09 > 0:01:12that spreads over 92 acres in Bedfordshire.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16Our journey has taken us to Lulworth Castle in Dorset,
0:01:16 > 0:01:20home to some of the French royal family during the French Revolution.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22And to Chiddingstone Castle in Kent,
0:01:22 > 0:01:25which can be traced back to Tudor times.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30On our show today, one of our experts, Christina Trevanion,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33has an embarrassment of riches.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35You have brought me
0:01:35 > 0:01:39possibly one of the most fascinating things I've ever seen on "Flog It!"
0:01:39 > 0:01:41I hope you don't mind me saying, but it's one of the finest pieces
0:01:41 > 0:01:45- of cloisonne that I have had the pleasure of handling.- Really?- Yeah.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47- It's really, really beautiful. - Well, that's wonderful.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Really beautiful.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Later on, we'll see what happens to these extraordinary items
0:01:53 > 0:01:54in the saleroom.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00It's highly unlikely when a house's history stretches as far back
0:02:00 > 0:02:04as Breamore's does, that it remains untouched by tragedy.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09Now, up here is a wonderful example of family history.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11This is Mrs William Doddington,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14the wife of the first owner of the house.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Now, you can see she's painted in her mourning clothes.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19This is an oil on panel.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Now, she sat for the artist after her husband's death.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26He committed suicide on the eve of a court case which caused
0:02:26 > 0:02:29a right old scandal back in Elizabethan England.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33It's a wonderful document of social history
0:02:33 > 0:02:38and over 400 years later, you can still see the sadness on her face.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41That's because the painting has been taken care of properly.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43It's up high, out of harm's way.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46It's out of the sunlight and it's also not been over-varnished.
0:02:46 > 0:02:51Now, let's hope our first set of items has been equally cared for.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54We kick off our journey in Kent, at Chiddingstone Castle,
0:02:54 > 0:02:59where Thomas Plant is making the most of the great outdoors.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03- John.- Yeah.- Tell me about your cane.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Well, it's... I don't know quite what I can tell you, really.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10It was a find in a loft when we moved into our house about 30 years ago.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Really? It's extraordinary what people leave behind in attics.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Well, quite. There was nothing else in the attic apart from that.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20- A real sort of Cash In The Attic moment for you, isn't it? - Well, hopefully!
0:03:20 > 0:03:22Well...
0:03:22 > 0:03:25I precis it by saying it's not going to make you a huge king's ransom.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27- No, probably not. - But what a find to find.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30- Now, this is an Indian cane.- Oh!
0:03:30 > 0:03:34This is Indian silver at the top end and it is embossed design,
0:03:34 > 0:03:39which means it's beaten from the reverse, hammered out.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43And these are Hindu gods and that's what appealed to me when I saw it.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46I thought, Indian silver is becoming more and more collectable...
0:03:46 > 0:03:50- Oh, right.- ..as India becomes more and more developed...- Yeah.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54..and there becomes more of an affluent society,
0:03:54 > 0:03:59- who want to buy back bits of culture.- Oh, I see, yeah.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03So therefore, Indian silver, which used to be rather devalued because
0:04:03 > 0:04:05it was colonial, because it was Indian, it wasn't
0:04:05 > 0:04:09- hallmarked, has now risen up to be quite valuable.- Oh, I see.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11I wondered why there wasn't a hallmark on it.
0:04:11 > 0:04:12No, no hallmarks on it at all.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15I was pretty sure it was silver, but I wasn't sure.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18No. It's never normally marked. It might have an area mark to it...
0:04:18 > 0:04:20- Yeah...- ..but it's very difficult to find.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23But the beautiful design is just so good, and it's on this
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Malacca sort of shaft with a ferrule, which looks original.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28This ferrule wouldn't be silver at the end, here?
0:04:28 > 0:04:31- No, that would wear away. Silver's a very soft metal.- Yeah.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35And this wouldn't be our standard of silver, which is
0:04:35 > 0:04:39- 925 parts of silver to every thousand parts of metal.- Mmm.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41I would suggest that this is going to be
0:04:41 > 0:04:44more like 600-700 parts of silver.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46So not as pure, but it has to be,
0:04:46 > 0:04:48- because it's going to get handled quite a lot.- Right.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51What did you think of it when you picked it up in the loft?
0:04:51 > 0:04:52What were you hoping it was?
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Well, I just thought it was a walking stick.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57It was somewhat more tarnished when we found it, I remember, but, um...
0:04:57 > 0:05:00I just thought it was a walking stick, it was an interesting thing.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02And what made you bring it to "Flog It!"?
0:05:02 > 0:05:05It's been hanging around the house for 30-odd years and frankly,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08every time we open the door in the downstairs cupboard, it falls out.
0:05:08 > 0:05:09THEY LAUGH
0:05:09 > 0:05:11That's going to be annoying, isn't it?
0:05:11 > 0:05:14So, you know, it really wasn't serving any particular purpose to us.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17- And you've not twisted your ankle, so you don't need a cane.- No.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20- Not at the moment, no.- Now, I've been quite realistic with you...
0:05:20 > 0:05:24- Mm-hm.- ..it is silver, Malacca cane, there is a collectable value
0:05:24 > 0:05:27because it's a walking cane, but that doesn't mean it's going to be
0:05:27 > 0:05:29- worth hundreds and hundreds and hundreds.- OK.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32- I doubt that even if it would break the £50 barrier.- All right.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35- But we're looking at between £40-£60.- OK.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38- We might get £50 for it.- All right. - We might get a bit more.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41- Are you happy to sell it? - Um, yes, yes, I am.- Yeah? Good.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44And I think, with the £40-£60 estimate,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47- you put a reserve on it, so it's not given away.- All right.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50- I would say, suggest £30.- Yeah, OK. - Is that fair enough?
0:05:50 > 0:05:51Yes, that sounds fine.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Yeah, because if it's been kicking around the house for 30 years,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57£30, 30 years, it sounds sort of...
0:05:57 > 0:05:58all mixed in together, doesn't it?
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Yeah. That'll be fine. THOMAS LAUGHS
0:06:00 > 0:06:02I think John would be happy with anything to stop it
0:06:02 > 0:06:06from falling out of that cupboard.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Bedfordshire in Wrest Park is our next port of call,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12where Christina Trevanion has found a collection
0:06:12 > 0:06:14that she really is taken with.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Sharon and Rob, you have brought me
0:06:16 > 0:06:19possibly one of the most fascinating things I've ever seen on Flog It!
0:06:19 > 0:06:22We've got all these slides here and this slide viewer,
0:06:22 > 0:06:24- where did they come from? - They were my grandad's.- Right.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26And my dad had them in the loft
0:06:26 > 0:06:29and my son was having to do a history project,
0:06:29 > 0:06:33so my dad was finding a few things out to say about his great-grandad
0:06:33 > 0:06:35and that's when we first saw them.
0:06:35 > 0:06:36So how long ago was that?
0:06:36 > 0:06:38About six months ago he was doing his project.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41- Oh, so really recently, then?- Yeah, recently, yeah.- Oh, wow, OK.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43I mean, they are all related to the First World War.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Is there a family connection with somebody that
0:06:46 > 0:06:48- fought in the Great War? - Yeah, my grandad.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50- What part did he play in the war, do we know?- No.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53I know that he was 15 when he forged his birth certificate
0:06:53 > 0:06:56because he was unhappy at home. CHRISTINA GASPS
0:06:56 > 0:06:58- So he was very young.- So he was 15 when he went to war?- Yeah.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00- Oh, my goodness.- Yeah.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03He got torpedoed at sea and he was buried alive and...
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Because he was in a trench...
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- Oh, so he was at sea and then he was in a trench?- Yeah.- Oh.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13- So he was possibly Navy and then... - He's been through it, yeah, he's been through it all.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15- Oh, my goodness!- Yeah, and then he couldn't speak for a year.- God.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18I mean, it always amazes me hearing these types of stories
0:07:18 > 0:07:21and especially looking at some of the images we've got here,
0:07:21 > 0:07:25the absolute horror that these young men went through.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28The reason why we've got two images here is
0:07:28 > 0:07:30because you would have put your slide here...
0:07:30 > 0:07:32Unfortunately, we have got a bit missing here.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35And that would've held one of these cards in place and then
0:07:35 > 0:07:38you would be able to see these images in 3-D.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40So before that, you would have seen these images potentially
0:07:40 > 0:07:45in newspapers, but seeing it in 3-D must have been incredible.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48And it's some really unbelievably fascinating scenes that
0:07:48 > 0:07:50I've never seen before.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52We've got some pictures of the King in here,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55we've got munitions factories and here, this one,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58- which unfortunately is in quite bad condition...- Yes.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01We've got a Zeppelin, shot down near Colchester.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06Even with the back broken, it towers above a nearby farmhouse.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09- My granny, who - bless her - was 104 last week...- Wow.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13..remembers seeing a Zeppelin flying over the south coast.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17And that sort of first-hand history is all going to be lost to us soon.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20- Yeah.- But hopefully, these sorts of things will keep it alive.
0:08:20 > 0:08:21BOTH: Yeah.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23And I think there is certainly a resurgence of interest in
0:08:23 > 0:08:26the First World War and quite how important it was.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30- There are a few which are in slightly poor condition.- Yeah, yeah.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32I think, unfortunately, your slide viewer, which is
0:08:32 > 0:08:38- the Perfectscope, ain't so perfect any more, is it?- I know!
0:08:38 > 0:08:41- And my dad couldn't find the, um... - The slider.- Yeah, the slider, there.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44But nonetheless, you can still see them and I think really,
0:08:44 > 0:08:46the main event is not so much the slide viewer,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49it's the topic of these slides which is so important.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53- And we've got approximately 65 in total here.- Mmm.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58I am going to be quite modest on my auction expectations
0:08:58 > 0:09:00because it's a very difficult collector's market,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03and I'm just hoping that this sort of resurgence of interest in
0:09:03 > 0:09:05the Great War will help to sell them.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09I would suggest an auction estimate in the region of 150-200
0:09:09 > 0:09:11- and hope that it might go higher. - Yeah.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13How do you think Dad would feel about that, because
0:09:13 > 0:09:16- they're Dad's, aren't they?- Yes. - They're not... - No, they're my dad's, yeah.
0:09:16 > 0:09:21- I mean, he's asked me to bring them here to get them valued to sell, so, yeah.- OK.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26So, if we said an estimate of 150-200 and a reserve of 150 firm?
0:09:26 > 0:09:29- Yeah, I'm sure that'd be fine. - Yeah. Super.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32For me, personally, I think they are utterly fascinating.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34I really do, and I thank you very much for
0:09:34 > 0:09:36making the effort to bring them in
0:09:36 > 0:09:40- because it's been certainly a great lesson.- Thank you.
0:09:40 > 0:09:46It's really not a lot of money for such an amazing historical archive.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Onto the Dorset coast and Lulworth Castle,
0:09:48 > 0:09:53where Catherine Southon has found a car boot enthusiast.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55Sue, welcome to Flog It!
0:09:55 > 0:09:57and thank you for bringing along your vase here.
0:09:57 > 0:10:02Now, we see tubeline decoration here and we see autumnal colours
0:10:02 > 0:10:05and there's only one name that comes to mind and it is...?
0:10:05 > 0:10:07- Charlotte Rhead.- Absolutely.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10It screams Charlotte Rhead in every single direction.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14These colours in particular, the autumnal oranges and greens
0:10:14 > 0:10:18and the cream background as well, is so Charlotte Rhead.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22She did this design on a number of different vases and plates.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24Where did you get this from, Sue?
0:10:24 > 0:10:27- I bought it at a car-boot sale. - Oh, did you?
0:10:27 > 0:10:30- I did.- Recently?- No, about 18 months ago.- Right.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33And did you know what it was when you saw it?
0:10:33 > 0:10:35I looked at it and thought it was Art Deco
0:10:35 > 0:10:38- and I sort of had an inkling it could be.- Right.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40And it was only confirmed when I turned it over
0:10:40 > 0:10:42and I read the signature on the bottom.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44And is it the name that you knew at the time?
0:10:44 > 0:10:47- Yeah, I watch a lot of these programmes, so I see it, you see!- Ah!
0:10:47 > 0:10:51That's very good! Right, that's a big tick and an A-star for you.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Well, Charlotte Rhead did a number of different designs
0:10:54 > 0:10:56for Crown Ducal
0:10:56 > 0:11:00and you can see on the bottom there, it has got a nice, clear signature.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02- Sometimes she does an L for Lottie, Lottie Rhead.- Mm-hm.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06But you can see the C Rhead, Charlotte Rhead, at the bottom.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10And the impressed mark there, Crown Ducal, which is the factory.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14And then you can see as we turn it round further, you've got
0:11:14 > 0:11:18- the number 212 and that's the actual shape of the vase.- OK.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22- Do you like the colours? - See, I like Art Deco and I thought it was Art Deco.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26Yeah. Well, you're bang on with that, because it is 1930s in date.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30- And I like the colours. I wasn't too sure if I could afford it.- Yes.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32So I did have to ask how much it was - at a car boot!
0:11:32 > 0:11:33And how much did you pay?
0:11:33 > 0:11:36I paid £30 for it, but he did want 45. So...
0:11:36 > 0:11:38So you knocked him down?
0:11:38 > 0:11:40- Yeah.- So you've seen these antique programmes.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43So you did a bit of bartering. Very good, I like your style.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45Charlotte Rhead does sell quite well at auction,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48but it's not such a popular colouring.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50This is the colouring that she does quite often,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53but the other colours which you don't see so often,
0:11:53 > 0:11:57which are the purples and the greens and the more sort of pinky colours,
0:11:57 > 0:12:01- they tend to be the ones that make the bigger prices at auction.- OK.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05So you paid £30 for it. How much are you expecting it to be worth?
0:12:05 > 0:12:07I really don't know.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10It's just... I need to sell it because my daughter's cat is
0:12:10 > 0:12:13a big Maine Coon cat, and I know he's going to knock it off one day and
0:12:13 > 0:12:15- I'll regret it.- Oh, right. OK.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17- So we're not selling it to get money...- No, no.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20..big money back on it. We are selling it because of the cat.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22- Right. - SUE LAUGHS
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Well, that's a bit of a relief because I was a bit concerned that
0:12:25 > 0:12:29you were thinking you'd paid £30 for it and it was going to be worth 100.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31I liked it. No, I liked it at the time,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34- it was something that I would have kept.- Right, right.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38Charlotte Rhead's slightly gone off the boil a bit
0:12:38 > 0:12:42- and I would say a sensible estimate would be £40-60.- OK.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44- Is that all right? - Yeah, that's good.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46- But you're still happy to sell it at that?- Yeah.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48I would really like to get you a little bit back,
0:12:48 > 0:12:52but I think it's going to be a few pounds rather than 10 or 20.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57- Uh-huh.- So I'm going to suggest we put £40-60 on it.- OK.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Let's put a 30 reserve on it because that's what you paid for it.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03- Yep.- Are you happy to let it go for that?- Yeah, definitely.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05- Now we can have a nice clear shelf...- Yeah.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10- And the cat can walk along.- He likes heights.- He likes heights.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13- Well, just don't buy another vase. - SUE LAUGHS
0:13:13 > 0:13:16As far as I know, they don't have any cats at Breamore House,
0:13:16 > 0:13:18which is just as well.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21Well, before we head off to auction, there's just enough time for me
0:13:21 > 0:13:25to show you this incredible collection of Napoleonic art.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28These pictures have been produced from sketches
0:13:28 > 0:13:31painted in the field by a French artist.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35And here you can see Napoleon and his army arriving at port.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39And I would say these are the spring of 1815, because
0:13:39 > 0:13:43the Battle of Waterloo took place that year, during the summer months.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46And here is the man who defeated Napoleon.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49The Duke of Wellington, one of our greatest military leaders.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53Napoleon was sent to exile on the island of Saint Helena,
0:13:53 > 0:13:57and Wellington went on to become one of our prime ministers
0:13:57 > 0:13:59and lived at number one, Marble Arch, London.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Well, now, let's have a quick reminder
0:14:01 > 0:14:05of our experts' favourite items that are going under the hammer.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08The walking cane needs a new owner who can offer it
0:14:08 > 0:14:09a better home.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14This collection of First World War slides offers
0:14:14 > 0:14:16a poignant view of the past.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21And the Charlotte Rhead vase is looking for
0:14:21 > 0:14:23a safe haven with no cat!
0:14:26 > 0:14:29First up, Ewbank's Auctions, near Guildford.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31And remember, of course, that with every auction
0:14:31 > 0:14:34there are varying rates of commission to pay
0:14:34 > 0:14:37and VAT to add on top, whether you're buying or selling.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42So make sure you find out how much that is in advance.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Now, let's see how that walking cane does.
0:14:45 > 0:14:46Good luck, John.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49This is your moment, we're putting this valuation to the test by Thomas.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53It's the walking cane topped with Indian silver. It's a nice thing.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Not a lot of money, either. Why do you want to sell this?
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Um, well, it's... We're not collectors or anything.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01And it's been hanging around the house, more or less.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05It's a nice thing. I'd kind of hang on to it as a prodding stick.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08- A prodding stick? What...- You know, a stick to chase the dog, move things away, you know...
0:15:08 > 0:15:11- ..prod the kids with and the wife? - No, no!- "Get out of the way!"
0:15:11 > 0:15:14- You found this, didn't you? - We did indeed, in the attic.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18What, it didn't belong to your family when you bought the house? Someone left it in the attic?
0:15:18 > 0:15:19Yeah, literally.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23- About 30 odd years ago we bought a house and...- That's where it was.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26- That's all right, isn't it? - Good story, good story.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Well, here we are, and we're going to put it to test in the auction
0:15:28 > 0:15:31and I'm pretty sure this is going to find a new home
0:15:31 > 0:15:32and a new attic. Here we go.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34The Indian bamboo tapered walking cane,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37with the white metal pommel emboss there, with the deities there,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40and I've got bids, and I go in at 20 on this one.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43At 20, 25, 30, now, 35. 40, now.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46- 45, now, looking for 50.- Sold.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51Looking for 50, anywhere. All and done, then. Selling then at £45.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55- Oh!- Yes, the hammer has gone down, that is a sold sound, we like that.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58- Happy?- Very good.- Well done, Thomas.
0:15:58 > 0:15:59- You know, a result.- Yes.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02- Excellent stuff. It won't fall out the cupboard on me any more.- No.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04Someone's got a new prodding stick.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06THEY LAUGH
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Onto Sherborne in Dorset, where
0:16:08 > 0:16:11auctioneer Richard Bromell is at Charterhouse Auctioneers.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16It's a name that crops up quite regularly on the show, and it is
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Catherine Southon, and she is right next to me now, looking beautiful.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22- Full of hearts, look at that. - Queen of hearts. - THEY LAUGH
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Now, Charlotte Rhead, and it belongs to Sue.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28- This is a nice item. You bought this recently?- Not that long ago.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Last year, some time in the summer.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34So why did you decide to bring it in to the valuation day, to Catherine?
0:16:34 > 0:16:36I am looking after my daughter's cat at the moment,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40and he's a big Maine Coon, and he likes to go high.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42So I'm frightened it is going to go on the floor.
0:16:42 > 0:16:47- OK, so will we get you your money back? I think we will.- Hopefully. - I hope so.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Charlotte Rhead has had a bit of a dip recently,
0:16:50 > 0:16:52but let's hope we can get the price.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55- We are going to give it a go for you. Are you ready, Sue?- Yes. - Right, here we go, this is it.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59Pretty little Charlotte Rhead Crown Ducal vase here.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02- Come on, come on.- 30, £30, I have now. At 30. I'll take a five.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05- And five.- Well done.- Sue!
0:17:05 > 0:17:09Far away, the bid on the right at £35. I sell at 35.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12It's gone. OK, look, you've got to pay commission, it is 15%
0:17:12 > 0:17:13plus VAT here.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Everyone has to pay it if you're buying or selling, OK.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18But you didn't lose too much money, did you?
0:17:18 > 0:17:23And it is better to sell it now than before that cat smashes it.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26THEY LAUGH Definitely. Definitely.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Thank you for bringing it in, it was good to see a bit of Charlotte Rhead.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Now over to Tring Market Auctions, where Stephen Hearn is
0:17:32 > 0:17:34selling those fascinating slides.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38Rob and Sharon, good luck, this is the moment we've been waiting for.
0:17:38 > 0:17:4265 slides of the Great War, of national importance.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45- So hard to put a value on.- I'm really nervous.- I'm nervous for you.
0:17:45 > 0:17:46I wouldn't like to do that.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50You have to understand, it really is a hard thing to value.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52As much as they are incredibly important, and obviously the things
0:17:52 > 0:17:56they evoke, you sort of think, "What do you do with them now?"
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Hopefully somewhere in your mum and dad's loft,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02or in your loft, you've got other things from the Great War.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05- Oh, he's a cheery soul, isn't he? - THEY LAUGH
0:18:05 > 0:18:06Look, I wouldn't sell them.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10I wouldn't sell them if my grandad... And he had quite a life, didn't he?
0:18:10 > 0:18:14- He was torpedoed, he was buried alive, survived it, though.- He did.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Fingers crossed we get that £150-£200 because I think it's
0:18:17 > 0:18:21- worth a great deal more than that. Good luck.- Thank you.- Best of luck.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23These are rather interesting, these are.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26You've got some of the Boer War, you've got some of the stereoscopic
0:18:26 > 0:18:30viewers and, well, you've got some of the First World War in here.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34A very interesting collection. What about a couple of hundred for them?
0:18:34 > 0:18:37150 for them. 100 for them bid. 100, I'm bid.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39- Oh, 100 is bid.- Come on.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41120 is bid. 130, and 40,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44- and 50, and 60.- Oh, there we go.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Lots of interest.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48At £160, then, I shall sell.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52They are going, then, down they go for £160.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56- Well, they've gone. Good valuing.- In the room as well.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00- Fantastic, well done.- Happy?- Yes. - Good.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02Thank you for bringing those in. They were great pictures.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06- It was just such an honour to see, they were really, really fascinating.- I think so.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Thank you, well done.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14Over to Hampshire now to uncover some more remarkable
0:19:14 > 0:19:18history in an unexpected place.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21The beautiful unspoiled Beaulieu River is unusual for being
0:19:21 > 0:19:25one of the few privately owned rivers in the world.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29King John gave it to the monks of Beaulieu Abbey in 1204,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32and it has belonged to the family of the current owners of the estate
0:19:32 > 0:19:35since the time of Henry VIII.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40So you may be surprised to discover that this idyllic rural spot,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43known as Buckler's Hard - the "hard" meaning the gravel
0:19:43 > 0:19:47running down to the low water mark, is the maritime centre of the river,
0:19:47 > 0:19:52and it has played a remarkable part in British naval history.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Three of the sailing ships that took part in the British victory at
0:19:55 > 0:19:58the Battle of Trafalgar, against the combined fleets of
0:19:58 > 0:20:03the French and Spanish navies, were built on these very launch ways.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06The 36-gun Euryalus, the 74-gun
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Swiftsure and the 64-gun Agamemnon,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12affectionately known to her crew as "Eggs-and-Bacon".
0:20:12 > 0:20:14One of Admiral Nelson's favourite vessels,
0:20:14 > 0:20:18and he'd written of her earlier, "She is without doubt the finest
0:20:18 > 0:20:22"64 in the service and has the character to sail very well."
0:20:22 > 0:20:25So how did this quiet backwater, Buckler's Hard,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28find itself in the naval history books?
0:20:29 > 0:20:32It might never have been without the ambitions of John,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34the 2nd Duke of Montagu,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37who early on in the 18th century had grand plans
0:20:37 > 0:20:41to build a splendid port for sugar coming from the West Indies.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43It was to be called Montague Town,
0:20:43 > 0:20:48and an 80 foot wide street was built down to the quay,
0:20:48 > 0:20:50but that's as far as it got.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53The French put a stop to it by claiming the islands
0:20:53 > 0:20:57in the West Indies for themselves, the ones the Duke had his eye on,
0:20:57 > 0:20:59so no sugar reached here.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03All the Duke was left with was a rather wide high street
0:21:03 > 0:21:05and a few cottages.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13But the Duke, being an enterprising chap, wanted to make use of this
0:21:13 > 0:21:14extra wide high street.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18It had ideal access to get big elm trees and oak trees down here,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21and the river at this point is exceptionally deep.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24The ground was hard and it was sheltered,
0:21:24 > 0:21:28it was ideal for boat-building, so the Duke leased it to some shipwrights.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32And in 1744, a contract was drawn up with the Navy.
0:21:32 > 0:21:37Then began 100 years of shipbuilding here at Buckler's Hard.
0:21:37 > 0:21:42It is thought that around 100 naval and merchant ships were built here.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46Of course there were no power tools available to the men who
0:21:46 > 0:21:49built these ships, so it was a slow process.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52A ship could take two years to construct.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54It must have been an amazing spectacle,
0:21:54 > 0:21:58when at the height of its activity five of these magnificent
0:21:58 > 0:22:02ships were all being built in the shoreline launches,
0:22:02 > 0:22:04towering over the cottages behind.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08In the early 19th century, wooden shipbuilding sites
0:22:08 > 0:22:10in the country fell into disuse
0:22:10 > 0:22:13and Buckler's Hard became a sleepy backwater again.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17But good news, the traditional skills of shipbuilding are on their
0:22:17 > 0:22:22way back to here, and the man in charge of doing this is Nat Wilson.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26- Hi, it's Paul, a pleasure to meet you.- You too.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28I'm so jealous, I love all of this. Look at it.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32- This is your work space! Here you are boat-building.- Yes.
0:22:32 > 0:22:33Well, I've never seen an oar being made
0:22:33 > 0:22:36- so hopefully you'll let me have a go.- Absolutely.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38First of all, tell me about the boat-building here.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41This is all about working with big, heavy timbers,
0:22:41 > 0:22:43the likes of HMS Victory and HMS Warrior,
0:22:43 > 0:22:47and it is teaching people how to handle big lumps of timber,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50how to work with them with the old tools, like the...
0:22:50 > 0:22:53- Traditional skills and methods. - Absolutely, yes.
0:22:53 > 0:22:54I know you're working on an oar here,
0:22:54 > 0:22:57and I can see you've got some laminated parts for the blade.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59So talk me through what you are doing.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02We are basically shaping the blade
0:23:02 > 0:23:05and then we are turning the shaft from a square into a circle.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09We mark it out, so that once this is cut down,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11that distance will end up the same as that distance
0:23:11 > 0:23:15- and that distance, so it will be an octagon all the way round. - I see what you are doing.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Then you re-mark it and take off the corners.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21So that one has been roughed out as an octagon.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24Needs cleaning up a bit and then we proceed, taking off corners
0:23:24 > 0:23:25until you end up with a round.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29And how long would it take to make one oar from start to finish?
0:23:29 > 0:23:32- Half a day. I can make a pair in one day.- Gosh, that's quick going, isn't it?
0:23:32 > 0:23:35- Once they are glued up and ready to go.- Can I have a go at that?
0:23:35 > 0:23:38- Of course you can.- Can I use the drawknife?- You can indeed.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40I'll flip it round.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Hold it.
0:23:45 > 0:23:46All yours.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50So, start facing this way
0:23:50 > 0:23:52and draw in, or... Yes.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54- That way.- Oh, crikey.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58- That's where you have to flip...- Go back against the grain.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04In fact, the grain is quite kind in this direction.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Gosh, it is a satisfying feeling.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09It is, and it's very quick as well.
0:24:09 > 0:24:14- Shall I turn it around?- Yes, reposition it to make it comfortable.
0:24:14 > 0:24:15It really does want to tear.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26It's the joy of wood, it is never exactly as you want it.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31You've done that before. Did you sign up for a course?
0:24:31 > 0:24:34- I have done it before, actually. - THEY LAUGH
0:24:34 > 0:24:38I was just about to say, you know, fresh wood shavings, it doesn't get any better
0:24:38 > 0:24:41- than that smell, but we are outside so we can't actually smell them. - THEY LAUGH
0:24:41 > 0:24:45That's lovely, isn't it? So I can see how the process works now.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50Just literally taking the square into a round by taking off sections
0:24:50 > 0:24:52- of the corner each time.- Yeah.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54So how do you shape this section?
0:24:54 > 0:24:58- That section, we use this wonderful little thing called a bollow plane. - A what?
0:24:58 > 0:25:02- A bollow plane.- Bollow plane, OK. - This is something that all the students make.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05- It is what I make.- You made that yourself?- 25 years ago, yes.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07But that's curved in both directions, which means
0:25:07 > 0:25:09we can scoop in...
0:25:09 > 0:25:12- That's clever.- ..and create... - That's very clever. - ..create that shape.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Look at that, that's dished out beautifully.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18- You're a very skilful man. - No, it's just lots of practice.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22Well, it is really encouraging to know there are people with
0:25:22 > 0:25:24the skills that you have that are passing them on,
0:25:24 > 0:25:26because that's so important with these traditional skills.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28A lot of them are being lost.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31They are, but we are doing our own little bit to bring them back again.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Well, look, good luck with that and good look with the school here.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36It has been a real pleasure having a go.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Seeing these magnificent warships being built here is
0:25:40 > 0:25:41a thing of the past,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44but it's heartening to know that the traditional skills
0:25:44 > 0:25:48and methods that built our maritime history
0:25:48 > 0:25:50are still alive today.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04I've worked on "Flog It!" for 13 years and I still get surprised
0:26:04 > 0:26:08about the amount of history you can discover on this show.
0:26:08 > 0:26:14This country continues to serve up a feast of delights for heritage lovers like myself.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19And here, at Breamore, there's plenty to indulge in.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Like this fabulous old kitchen, for instance.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23It really is copper heaven here.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26There's hundreds of copper pots and pans
0:26:26 > 0:26:28and jelly moulds.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30"Why?" you're probably asking. Well,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33many of this collection came as part of a dowry with
0:26:33 > 0:26:38the young brides because the Hulse family had many generations of boys.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42All the kitchen equipment here and all the items in it have been
0:26:42 > 0:26:44beautifully preserved.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Let's hope the same can be said about our next batch of items.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53We arrive next in Kent, at Chiddingstone Castle, where we
0:26:53 > 0:26:55find Adam Partridge under blue skies.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00Well, Mary, I must say that the cloud formation on this painting
0:27:00 > 0:27:03is very similar to the one we've got today at Chiddingstone Castle.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06- Yes, we are very lucky. - Aren't we just?
0:27:06 > 0:27:08And it's a beautiful painting.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12I remember seeing you earlier this morning, and this was wrapped
0:27:12 > 0:27:16in a blue tarpaulin and my interest was immediately aroused by it.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Can you tell me where you got it from, because I know there's
0:27:18 > 0:27:20a bit of interesting history to this, isn't there?
0:27:20 > 0:27:24Well, it belonged to my late father, who died last year.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28And at the age of 14, he started to work for
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Sir John Ellerman...Baronet.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34- Baronet, yes.- Who was not a well-known person
0:27:34 > 0:27:38but was actually one of the richest people in the world
0:27:38 > 0:27:41and founded the Ellerman shipping companies.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45Sir John died in 1973,
0:27:45 > 0:27:47and much of his art collection was sold,
0:27:47 > 0:27:51but some of the paintings which remained... Sir John's widow,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Lady Esther Ellerman, made a gift to my father
0:27:54 > 0:27:58of this painting in 1975.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00So they obviously thought very highly of your father.
0:28:00 > 0:28:05Well, he stayed on all his working life until he was 61.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07And actually met my mother at the company.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09So he progressed all the way through, got married,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12- everything has happened... - Absolutely.- ..while being at Ellerman's.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15- Yes.- So did you know this painting growing up, then?
0:28:15 > 0:28:19No, I didn't at all, because I'd left home in 1971
0:28:19 > 0:28:21- to go to university.- Ah, so...
0:28:21 > 0:28:24This was before the gift was made to him.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27It certainly beats a battery-powered carriage clock, doesn't it?
0:28:27 > 0:28:29I think he had one of those as well. THEY LAUGH
0:28:29 > 0:28:33So the artists, do you know a little bit about Edmund Marie Petitjean?
0:28:33 > 0:28:36I've done a little research on the internet.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39It seems he was quite well thought of.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41Oh, very much so. Born in 1844
0:28:41 > 0:28:44and died in 1925. He exhibited quite widely.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48And they meet with quite strong responses. It is clearly done by
0:28:48 > 0:28:53a very accomplished artist. I particularly like this little scene going on here.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55I think it must be a French scene, do you?
0:28:55 > 0:28:58I've always thought it was France but...
0:28:58 > 0:29:00- It would be nice to know where, wouldn't it?- Maybe Italy.- European.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03I honestly don't know, but definitely European.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05So presumably you've only recently come into the ownership of it.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09- Yes, my father died in August last year.- Yep.
0:29:09 > 0:29:14And had this on his dining room wall. So, yes, we now have it in the family.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17- Do you have it on display...?- No.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19It is quite a hard thing to accommodate.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22It's very big but it will meet with a very enthusiastic demand commercially.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25It is very pleasantly composed, isn't it?
0:29:25 > 0:29:28Clearly, he knows how to paint - a very talented painter.
0:29:28 > 0:29:29Lovely original gilt frame.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31It's got a lot of things going for it.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35Let's hope a lot of people should like that when it comes up for auction.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37Well, I hope so, because I think it should be seen.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41It's not something that I would be able to display in my house, nor my brother's.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44- So that's the reason for selling?- Indeed.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46Now, the artist has a record at auction.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50Some of the smaller works are around the £1,000 mark
0:29:50 > 0:29:53and some of the very important works are several thousand pounds.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55So we have decided that we would suggest
0:29:55 > 0:29:58an estimate of £2,000-£3,000 on this.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01I would suggest a reserve of £2,000 because it must be worth that.
0:30:01 > 0:30:06- Sound all right?- Yes, yes, yes, I think my father would be pleased.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09Good. Is there anything specific that you would put the money towards?
0:30:09 > 0:30:14I haven't really thought about that but something to remind me of my dad.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17I'm sure the auctioneers will be delighted to see it in their saleroom
0:30:17 > 0:30:21and hopefully they will put a picture in their catalogue and give it a lovely spot on the wall,
0:30:21 > 0:30:24and loads of people will bid for it and it will make a great price.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28Well, my father would have been tickled pink with that. Thank you.
0:30:29 > 0:30:30Well, fingers crossed then.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35Along the south coast to Dorset and Lulworth Castle,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38where Mark Stacey is examining a recently purchased bargain.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43- Kane. Lovely to meet you. - And yourself.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46You brought this rather interesting bowl in.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50- Tell me where you got it from. - From Allington Lane, a car-boot sale. Ten pence.
0:30:50 > 0:30:5310p! Gosh. What attracted you to it?
0:30:53 > 0:30:56- I thought it was a piece of Delft. - Delft pottery? - That's what I thought.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59Well, I can see that, because it's quite heavy pottery, isn't it?
0:30:59 > 0:31:02And you've got quite a lot of flaking which does happen on Delft pottery.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06It's not, actually. It's from a completely different region. It's from the Persian area.
0:31:06 > 0:31:10This type of ware we refer to as Iznik pottery.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Now, that's normally because of these colours,
0:31:13 > 0:31:15the turquoises, the blues, the reds.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20What we really want to find is pieces that date from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23They were produced in the Anatolia region
0:31:23 > 0:31:27in what is now the Persian Gulf and Turkey.
0:31:27 > 0:31:28That whole Arab area.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31This, I think, is probably late 19th century.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34It's got these rather nice arabesque motifs on it
0:31:34 > 0:31:37and the stylised flowers - all hand-painted, of course.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41And there is a little bit of fritting on the edges. And we turn it over,
0:31:41 > 0:31:46and we've got this continuous frieze of flowering branches, which is really quite Chinese in inspiration.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50So there is obviously a lot of Chinese porcelain
0:31:50 > 0:31:54coming around into Europe and Asia and the Arabic countries,
0:31:54 > 0:31:56so they've started to have a bit of an influence on that.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58And it is not marked, which you expect.
0:31:58 > 0:32:04I have to say, if it was an early piece it would be worth an awful lot of money
0:32:04 > 0:32:08but as a decorative, sort of late 19th century piece, and you only paid 10p for it...
0:32:08 > 0:32:12- Yes, that's true. - What would you hope it to be worth? - Oh, thousands and thousands.
0:32:12 > 0:32:17Well, maybe of Turkish lire. Which is about 10p or something.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20But it's worth more than 10p.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23I think if we put this into auction with an estimate
0:32:23 > 0:32:27of something like £40-£60 and just have fun with it.
0:32:27 > 0:32:32Because you just might find two or three buyers on the internet who'll think, "I really like this,"
0:32:32 > 0:32:36- and it could give us a real surprise on the day.- Yes.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40- Happy with that estimate? - Yes, well, I was hoping it was going to be worth a lot more, but...
0:32:40 > 0:32:45We're all hoping for more, even Paul Martin hopes for top of the estimate all the time.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49I think, had it been earlier, the colours would've been much more vibrant.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52I mean, really vivid blues and greens and reds.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55And this is why I'm valuing it as a later piece, because of the muted colours.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57But it is a good interior design piece.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01It will fit into a modern apartment as well as an antique house.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04So there is a good chance it might make a bit more than our estimate.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06- Let's just hope so.- Fingers crossed. - Yes.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09As you only paid 10p for it, what do you think about a reserve?
0:33:09 > 0:33:13- Are happy to just let it go and have a bit of fun?- Yeah, just let it go.- I think so.
0:33:13 > 0:33:18- Kane, thank you so much. Lovely to see you.- And yourself. Cheers. Thank you.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21Of course, we all want top dollar if we can get it.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25We end our tour at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire,
0:33:25 > 0:33:28where Christina Trevanion has found our final item of the day.
0:33:30 > 0:33:35Janet, you have brought this really, utterly stunning piece
0:33:35 > 0:33:38to show me today. Where has it come from?
0:33:38 > 0:33:41Well, as far as I'm aware, it came with my grandad
0:33:41 > 0:33:46when he and his family left Odessa
0:33:46 > 0:33:50in the Ukraine in the late 1890s.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53OK. So what made them come to England from the Ukraine?
0:33:53 > 0:33:56- Well, they were on a ship headed for America.- Right.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00Because of the pogroms.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04My grandfather's mother saw her parents taken out and shot.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08- So they were fleeing, effectively? - Exactly.- Understandably.- Yes.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12I mean, good Lord, if you've seen members of your family taken out and shot then it's...
0:34:12 > 0:34:15- Yes, you want to get out of there, don't you?- You do, absolutely.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18So they got on a boat and they were headed for America...
0:34:18 > 0:34:21- And their boat was shipwrecked. - Oh, really?
0:34:21 > 0:34:23- Yes, and they were rescued. - Oh, my goodness.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25And they ended up in London.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28So where does this jug come into the equation?
0:34:28 > 0:34:33Well, I'm just assuming that it came with the family
0:34:33 > 0:34:36when they escaped from Odessa.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39It certainly didn't start life in the Ukraine.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43Is there any sort of connection in the family to the East, to Japan?
0:34:43 > 0:34:44Not as far as I'm aware.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47Because this rather lovely little thing
0:34:47 > 0:34:51is a Japanese cloisonne jug and cover, or ewer and cover.
0:34:51 > 0:34:57It probably dates to what we call the Meiji Period, which was 1868-1912,
0:34:57 > 0:35:02but I would probably date this to about 1880-1890. And it is...
0:35:02 > 0:35:05I hope you don't mind me saying, but it is possibly one
0:35:05 > 0:35:08of the finest pieces of cloisonne that I've had the pleasure of handling.
0:35:08 > 0:35:13- Really?- It's really, really beautiful.- That's wonderful.- Really beautiful.
0:35:13 > 0:35:19Especially when we consider how laborious this process of cloisonne is.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22Effectively, you've got a gilt metal, bronze or brass base,
0:35:22 > 0:35:24which this would have been made of.
0:35:24 > 0:35:30- You then get all these tiny little swirls, these pieces of wire.- Yes.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33Which they would have individually soldered on
0:35:33 > 0:35:36and then done the decoration of the animals and the flowers as well.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39And then, individually, you would have hand poured molten
0:35:39 > 0:35:42enamel into each of these tiny little things.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45So the process is incredibly labour-intensive.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49- It must've taken an age to produce. - Literally days.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51I mean, it is just the most beautiful thing
0:35:51 > 0:35:54and you see cloisonne, which is a few bits of wire filled in with enamel,
0:35:54 > 0:35:58and then you see cloisonne, which is gorgeous.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00And it really is beautiful.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04It is so detailed and in itself it sort of tells a little story
0:36:04 > 0:36:08because you've got a dragon down here chasing the flaming pearl, which was a legend.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11You've got a rooster here which is a symbol of bravery.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13So it really speaks volumes.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17- It looks particularly modest but it is really quite special.- Gosh. - It's lovely.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19So if I turn it upside down, I would really,
0:36:19 > 0:36:22really hope to see a mark, but there is no mark in there, sadly.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25Which is such a shame, because an item of such quality, I would
0:36:25 > 0:36:29really, really like to be able to attribute it to a particular artist.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32Do you have any sort of expectations for it at auction?
0:36:32 > 0:36:34I've got no idea whatsoever.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37At auction, I would hope that it would fetch
0:36:37 > 0:36:40somewhere in the region of £300-£500. OK.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44- Maybe a reserve of £250.- OK. - But I do think it's quite stunning.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47Thank you very, very much for bringing it in.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50And especially the history that it has seen.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53Bearing in mind that it has been in a shipwreck, in the Ukraine,
0:36:53 > 0:36:59and goodness knows elsewhere, it has remained in remarkable condition.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01It really has. So well done you for treasuring it for so long.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04- Thank you very much.- You're more than welcome. Thank you.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07That sounds like the one to watch.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14It's now time for our final visit to the auction room,
0:37:14 > 0:37:18so here's a quick recap of all the items going under the hammer.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23This painting has real quality, so it shouldn't get the brush-off
0:37:23 > 0:37:25in the saleroom.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30It may not be early Delft but this bowl has the look
0:37:30 > 0:37:33and with no reserve it's going to go.
0:37:36 > 0:37:41Christina fell in love with this cloisonne vase which has got to be a good sign.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52Charterhouse Auctioneers in Dorset is where our first sale
0:37:52 > 0:37:53is being held.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56Auctioneer Richard Bromell is on the rostrum selling our car boot
0:37:56 > 0:38:00find of the day. Going under the hammer right now we have a bowl.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02It cost ten pence in a car-boot sale.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06We're hoping to get around £60, the top end for it. It belongs to Kane.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08Sadly, he can't be with us today, but we do have the item
0:38:08 > 0:38:11- and we do have our expert, Mr Mark Stacey.- Hello, Paul.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14- Will it get that top end?- I don't know. It is a lovely thing.- It is.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16- He thought it was Delft. - He did think it was Delft.
0:38:16 > 0:38:20And I think it's late, don't you? It's not that early Islamic.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22But the colours are nice, the pattern is good.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25- It should make £40-£60. - It should do. I like the arabesque patterns.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28- I love it.- And it sort of attracts your eye. Here we go.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30Fingers crossed for Kane. This is it.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33This bowl here comes straight in at £25... I have bid.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35£25, £30, £35, £40, £45...
0:38:35 > 0:38:38- That's good. - We're over the lower end anyway.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41£45 I have, and £50 on the internet.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43At £50, £60? £60 and away now. £70. It's on the internet.
0:38:43 > 0:38:44The internet is pretty good.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46So it is on the internet
0:38:46 > 0:38:49and going away. So selling at £70, last chance at £70...
0:38:49 > 0:38:50The hammer goes down. Yes.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54£70. Not bad. I wish we could do that every day of the week.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57I would love to, Paul. We would be happy, wouldn't we?
0:38:57 > 0:38:58Yes, but we can't.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02We can't. It is just not possible. Well, I hope you enjoyed that little moment, Kane.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04Mark will be on the phone, won't you?
0:39:04 > 0:39:06I will. I'll give them a ring.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08And I'm sure Kane will be delighted.
0:39:10 > 0:39:15Now, 145 miles north to Tring, where auctioneer Stephen Hearn,
0:39:15 > 0:39:17at Tring Market Auctions, is on the rostrum.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22Going under the hammer right now, a real treasure.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24A Japanese cloisonne vase. It belongs to Janet.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26Unfortunately she can't be here, she is on holiday.
0:39:26 > 0:39:31But we do have her stepdaughter, Charlotte, who is with me right now. Do you know much about this vase?
0:39:31 > 0:39:33- I'm afraid I don't. - Have you ever seen it?
0:39:33 > 0:39:35I've seen it in the house but that's about it.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39- Probably gathering dust somewhere. - Actually, it is stunning.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41I mean, it really is. It is a great example of cloisonne.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45It is just so detailed, it is unbelievable, but the thing that worries me
0:39:45 > 0:39:47is that the Japanese market is not as hot as the Chinese market.
0:39:47 > 0:39:52- No, never has been.- Never has been. Will it ever be?- I don't know. - Not sure.
0:39:52 > 0:39:57But we have put £300-£500 on it, with a reserve of £250 firm.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01Try making that for £500. Try asking a potter to do that.
0:40:01 > 0:40:06They'd go, "Sorry, gov. Couldn't do it." Anyway, Charlotte, it's going under the hammer.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10- Right, we'll see. - And hopefully you can be the bearer of good news on the telephone.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12- Let's see.- Here we go. Let's put it to the test.
0:40:12 > 0:40:17We have a cloisonne miniature vase, now. There we are. What about that?
0:40:17 > 0:40:22£100, £200? £150, £160, £180. £180, I have it.
0:40:22 > 0:40:23£190. Are you £200?
0:40:23 > 0:40:25£180, perhaps madam?
0:40:25 > 0:40:30No more, at £190, then it's going down for £190...
0:40:30 > 0:40:31No! Thank you.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35You can take it home now and actually look at it
0:40:35 > 0:40:36and see it and appreciate it.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39- I'll have to appreciate it. - And appreciate how beautiful it is.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41Well, there you. Look. We are very, very sorry.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44- It's going home now.- We've tested the market and they didn't want it.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46OK, well, thank you.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49Well, they don't know what they missed.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52Our journey concludes at Ewbank Auctions with auctioneer
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Tim Duggan conducting the sale.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59Going under the hammer right now, something for you fine art lovers.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03It is a Petitjean oil and it really is stunning. It belongs to Mary.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06- Thank you so much for bringing that in.- That's my pleasure.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10It lit up everybody's faces. Why are you selling this?
0:41:10 > 0:41:16I love the picture but I don't think I could do it justice in my house.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19I would just like it to give somebody some pleasure...
0:41:19 > 0:41:21Adam, you've sold his works before?
0:41:21 > 0:41:23Yes, they vary depending on size and subject.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25But one of the best paintings we've had,
0:41:25 > 0:41:26certainly in my time...
0:41:26 > 0:41:30- Oh, that's promising.- Definitely, definitely. One of the nicest paintings.
0:41:30 > 0:41:31It is beautiful, yes.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35- Very accomplished, and it's ready to go under the hammer right now. - I hope so.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37This is it. I'm tingling. Here we go. Look.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39Edmund Marie Petitjean, there.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42The village there with the church scene looking across the river.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45Oil on canvas, signed. How do you see this one? £1,000 for it?
0:41:45 > 0:41:48£1,000 bid, £1,000 bid now, £1,100 now.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50£1,200, £1,300,
0:41:50 > 0:41:52£1,400, £1,500,
0:41:52 > 0:41:55£1,600, £1,700,
0:41:55 > 0:41:58£1,800, £1,900. At £1,900,
0:41:58 > 0:42:00looking for £2,000, sir.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03- I'm looking for £2,000. - We need one more bid.- £2,000 now.
0:42:03 > 0:42:04I've got £2,100 on the commission,
0:42:04 > 0:42:08- I want £2,200 online please. - £2,100.- I was worried...
0:42:08 > 0:42:12Looking for £2,200. It is £2,100 with me on the commission now.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15£2,200 online now... It is with you online now.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Looking for £2,300 anywhere.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20Looking for £2,300 anywhere.
0:42:20 > 0:42:25All done then, selling then at £2,200 online, at £2,200.
0:42:25 > 0:42:30- Yay!- £2,200. Yay. That is a happy sound, Mary.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33- Yes, that's good.- Happy?- Yes.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37I'm so glad I spotted you with that big tarpaulin in the queue in the morning.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40I found it in the queue under a big tarpaulin, with her husband.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43- Good, keeping it out of the sunlight.- Absolutely.- Yes, yes.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46- It was hot that day, wasn't it? - It was boiling.- It was.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51Well, Mary is happy, as I imagine the new owner will be.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53And that is what it's all about.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58We've been to some fabulous locations which have provided us
0:42:58 > 0:43:02with a really interesting and historic collection of items.
0:43:02 > 0:43:07Join us again soon for more surprises in the saleroom on Flog It!