0:00:02 > 0:00:03Powderham Castle in Devon,
0:00:03 > 0:00:06a fantastic location for our valuation day.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10This room was once part of the Great Hall,
0:00:10 > 0:00:14but it now features this very grand staircase.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17All the rooms here in this stately home aren't what they seem.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21Over the last 600 years, the house has been altered considerably,
0:00:21 > 0:00:25but one thing is for sure - we're staying firmly on the spot.
0:00:25 > 0:00:26Welcome to Flog It!
0:00:46 > 0:00:50Powderham Castle dates back to the 14th century and it's the
0:00:50 > 0:00:53much loved long-standing home of the Courtenay family.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57Set in 3,500 acres, with a deer park,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00it's seen significant changes over the years.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03The castle has adapted to each generation living within its
0:01:03 > 0:01:05historic walls.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07Today, we're making this stronghold our base,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10as the family has opened the gates to "Flog It!",
0:01:10 > 0:01:14and the crowd is already making itself at home on the terraces.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17If you want to take part in "Flog It!",
0:01:17 > 0:01:20this is where your journey starts - a valuation day,
0:01:20 > 0:01:22just like this one here at Powderham Castle in Devon.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26Hundreds of people have turned up, laden with antiques and collectibles,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29hoping they're one of the lucky ones to go through to the auction
0:01:29 > 0:01:31later on in the show and go home with a small fortune,
0:01:31 > 0:01:34but first they have to see our experts because they want to
0:01:34 > 0:01:37know the answer to that all-important question, which is...
0:01:37 > 0:01:39- ALL:- What's it worth?
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Brilliant! Stay tuned and you'll find out!
0:01:41 > 0:01:44And we've brought in the best experts.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48- Keen and eager is West Country lass Claire Rawle.- Oh, a teddy bear!
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Hello, boy. I'm glad to see you haven't smothered him in the bag.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53I like to see his head hanging out of the top!
0:01:53 > 0:01:55He's got a real snub nose, hasn't he?
0:01:55 > 0:01:58And hot on her heels is someone who always has something to say,
0:01:58 > 0:02:00Will Axon.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Oh. Well, you've still got the price on it.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05An outrage! How much was it? What were you asking?
0:02:07 > 0:02:11With such a huge crowd, it's time to get the people inside.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14We're filling the rooms, so they can settle down and unpack.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17And while they all meander their way through the castle,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21let's take a look at what's coming up later on in the programme.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23Claire finds a real token of love
0:02:23 > 0:02:25that's travelled all the way from Spain.
0:02:25 > 0:02:30- Obviously, your father had a very good eye.- He did.- Yeah.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Will can't keep his hands to himself.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35- It just sits nicely. You're safe. - Don't go for it!
0:02:37 > 0:02:40And one of our contributors is moved at the auction.
0:02:40 > 0:02:45- That is fantastic, isn't it? - Absolutely astonishing. Thank you.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47Wow!
0:02:47 > 0:02:50And I'll be taking a closer look at this amazing architectural
0:02:50 > 0:02:54structure, now firmly planted on Plymouth Hoe - but, amazingly,
0:02:54 > 0:03:00it started life 14 miles out at sea, on perilous Eddystone Rocks.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03But before all that...
0:03:03 > 0:03:05The deeper you dig at Powderham Castle,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08the more you discover. Appearances can be deceptive.
0:03:08 > 0:03:13Now, here, in the First Library, this is where the family would entertain guests throughout
0:03:13 > 0:03:16the 18th century, but if I do this to the bookcase, watch this...
0:03:16 > 0:03:18Follow me - you'll love it.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20Here we go. Look at that. Another room.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24The China Room, set within the medieval walls of the castle.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Are there any more surprises?
0:03:26 > 0:03:29We're just about to find out, as we go over to Claire Rawle's table.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Let's take a look at what she's discovered.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35- Maureen, it's good to meet you. - Thank you.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38And good to meet you in the library of this beautiful castle.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41And you've brought along a really, really pretty silver trinket box.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43- Yes.- So, is this a family piece? - Yes.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46I can always remember it being on my grandmother's dressing table
0:03:46 > 0:03:49for as long as I remember and when she died, it came to me.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51For years, it was so black I actually thought it was
0:03:51 > 0:03:54- pewter or something. I never realised it was silver.- Oh, right.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56- Until I found the hallmarks fairly recently.- Yeah.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59And I thought, "Wow! Got to do something with this."
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Well, it certainly isn't pewter, although I know what you mean.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- Sometimes, it goes so, so black. So you cleaned it up, did you?- A bit.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07- Haven't done it recently. - No, no. That's a good idea.
0:04:07 > 0:04:08Never over-clean silver.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11It is indeed German, but it has got import marks Chester,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14so it was deliberately imported into this country to be sold,
0:04:14 > 0:04:19- and the date is 1906. So it's a little Edwardian box.- That's nice.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21It was made by Berthold Muller in Germany.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24And Muller actually made a lot of items that were imported into
0:04:24 > 0:04:28this country to be sold as decorative items and when an
0:04:28 > 0:04:32item of silver is imported into this country, it has to come up to
0:04:32 > 0:04:36our standards and so that is why it has the Chester hallmark on it.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38Right, the M is the Muller, presumably.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42Yes, that's the actual maker. And it's sometimes known as Hanau silver.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46I don't know if I pronounced that right. But it's a region of Germany.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49They imported a lot of decorative items into this country
0:04:49 > 0:04:52and that's exactly what it is. It's a little trinket box,
0:04:52 > 0:04:56so you put on a dressing table or a Bijouterie table or whatever.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59It's beautifully embossed with figures on the front here,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03ladies in 18th-century costume. And interesting, I think -
0:05:03 > 0:05:07it's got nice decoration round it of musical trophies, so it's quite pretty.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Funnily enough, when I saw it first, I thought it might have been
0:05:10 > 0:05:12slightly earlier because the decoration is very 19th century,
0:05:12 > 0:05:16- but then it didn't alter an awful lot.- Follow a pattern, I suppose.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- Yes.- But it's pretty.- It weighs four ounces.- All right.- But that
0:05:19 > 0:05:24doesn't actually affect its value because a lot of silver is sold for scrap, so you base it on the weight.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29This is more than scrap. It's a collector's piece. Now, one thing I noticed when I looked at it.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Where you've got pieces that are embossed and decorated like this,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35the silver's slightly thinner and if people over-clean it,
0:05:35 > 0:05:39they make holes in it, so it's good that it stayed black for so long.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42- Fair enough.- If you hold it up to the light, you can see there's a couple of very small holes
0:05:42 > 0:05:46- in the lid, but that's acceptable. - I'm not surprised. An item of that age,
0:05:46 > 0:05:49there's bound to be something wrong somewhere, I suppose.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Oh, indeed, yes. The great thing is it hasn't been squashed or bent.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55The hinges work well and I can see it going on someone's
0:05:55 > 0:05:57dressing table or in a little display cabinet.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02- But you've obviously decided now's the time to get rid of it? - Yes. I'm beginning to declutter.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04You get to that stage in your life where something's got to go
0:06:04 > 0:06:07and whether it was sentimental or not at some stage, I've got other
0:06:07 > 0:06:12- pieces that have more sentimental value, so some of it has to go.- Yes. Well, I think this will sell well.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16I'd like to put an estimate of about 80 to 120 on it.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20That's an auctioneer's favourite, I'm afraid. It goes over the hundred.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Chances are it might make a little more than that,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25but it has got two small holes, so you have to bear that in mind.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30And I'd suggest a reserve just under the lower estimate of about £70.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32- That's fine.- Is that good? - That's fine. Excellent.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34- Thank you very much.- Good, good. - I shall look forward to that.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38So, when you've got this money burning a hole in your pocket, what are you going to do with it?
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Well, the one problem when you start decluttering is
0:06:40 > 0:06:43- you find you've got to redecorate. - Oh, OK. Yes.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46- So that's going in the pot for that. - Oh. Well, that's good.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48- I look forward to seeing you at the auction.- Thank you.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52- And I hope we at least buy a few pots of paint for you out of it. - Hope so, yes.- Yeah.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56One thing about "Flog It!" - we see all sorts.
0:06:56 > 0:06:57What on earth has Will found?
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Frank, have you just picked this up out in the car park?
0:07:00 > 0:07:02An old bit of stone?
0:07:02 > 0:07:06No, I dug it up in the garden about 23 or 24 years ago.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11- So it is just a lump of rock? - Well, it is a stone, isn't it? Yes.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14So, I saw it and I immediately thought - it's an adze.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Now, an adze is a handheld axe.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21- It could be held by hand, or you could fix a handle to it.- I see.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Strap it onto a piece of wood.
0:07:23 > 0:07:28- Yeah.- Use it as an axe. - That's right. So it's an axe head.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Axe head, I think.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34- And it's made from greenstone. - It's from Cornwall.- Ah, so not far.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36- Well, yes, not very far. - Devon and Cornwall.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38- Cornwall, yeah, that's right. - Devon and Cornwall.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41- That's about the best thing I've ever found.- Is it?- Yes.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Well, do you mind if I hold it? Cos it's a tactile piece, isn't it?
0:07:44 > 0:07:46And what's this, I see? Some inscriptions.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50Well, that went to Exeter Museum to verify it
0:07:50 > 0:07:54- and then it went to London.- Oh. This stone's been around.- Oh, yes.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57- More than I have! - It's travelled further than you!
0:07:57 > 0:08:00- That's right. - So, it's been authenticated.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04- Show me the authenticity.- That's what they done, what they sent back.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06I see.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10"I took your items to the curator of the museum at Exeter and
0:08:10 > 0:08:13"he was very interested, especially in the axe.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16"This is made of greenstone..." We got that right.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18"Found in West Devon and Cornwall.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23- "They date from 4000 to 2000 BC," so Neolithic.- BC.- Yes.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26"There are least four other axes of this type in the museum..."
0:08:26 > 0:08:30- In Exeter, but this one here is better than what they've got.- Is it?
0:08:30 > 0:08:32- So they say.- "Yours is much nicer..."- There we are, you see.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36- You're quite right, so yours is the one... Did they make you an offer for it?- No.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39- No, I wasn't interested in selling it.- Weren't you?- No.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43- But you are now. - Well, I've had it long enough. I thought, "Shift it on."
0:08:43 > 0:08:47Well, I think it's an interesting piece and I think other
0:08:47 > 0:08:51- people will find it interesting. - I think so.- Certainly local people.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56Local history. The connection, the letter from the museum. Great story.
0:08:56 > 0:09:01- Estimate. Now, I'm notoriously mean, Frank.- I can see that.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04I'm going to say to you, let's put it in at £100 to £200
0:09:04 > 0:09:07and let the market decide what it's worth.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10- I want a reserve on it.- Yes. I'll reserve it at 100?
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Yes, that'll be all right, I think.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15And at the end of the day, it's going to make what it makes.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18- That's right.- Well, good work. Keep digging.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21And next time you find something, come and find us.
0:09:21 > 0:09:22Right, thank you very much.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25And who knows what lies at the bottom of your garden?
0:09:27 > 0:09:30There really are treasures all over this wonderful building.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Now, I've left the experts hard at work for
0:09:32 > 0:09:36a little while because I want to show you this - the Staircase Hall.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39It really is quite impressive. Just look at that.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43Now, this staircase wasn't originally here when this
0:09:43 > 0:09:46room started out life as part of the medieval Great Hall,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49where the lord and the lady entertained all their guests.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51In the 18th century, Lady Frances,
0:09:51 > 0:09:53the wife of the first Viscount of Powderham,
0:09:53 > 0:09:56asked her husband to create an impressive staircase that she
0:09:56 > 0:09:59could walk down and make a grand entrance in front of her
0:09:59 > 0:10:02guests in all her finery.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04The original staircase, the spiral one in the castle,
0:10:04 > 0:10:08wasn't big enough to show off a big dress. She got her way.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12This is what he created. What a loving husband!
0:10:12 > 0:10:15This really is certainly impressive.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18The staircase was built by James Garrett,
0:10:18 > 0:10:22a local craftsman based in Exeter, and this wonderful detailed
0:10:22 > 0:10:26Rococo plasterwork, which is applied on the wall after it's made,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29took three years to complete by three craftsmen.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34And it's offset against what can be described as pea green walls.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Now, those craftsmen must have great fun in picking out details
0:10:38 > 0:10:41from everyday life here on the estate.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45Foliage work, birds, animals, musical instruments - it's all here.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Lady Frances must have been delighted.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Back to the library and Claire's making the most of
0:10:53 > 0:10:56the beautiful surroundings.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Maria, you've brought along the most charming, beautiful brooch here.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02I think it's absolutely exquisite, but I gather it's been in
0:11:02 > 0:11:05the family a while. Tell me a little bit of its history.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Well, as far as I know, it belonged to my mother.
0:11:08 > 0:11:14She had it for 40, 50 years and my father gave it to her as a present.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18That's all I know, really. She liked to wear it. She wore it quite a lot.
0:11:18 > 0:11:23And we all like it in the family, but we are not jewellery wearers.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Oh, right. Yes. And so is your mother no longer with us?
0:11:26 > 0:11:28No, she's not. She passed on in March.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32- Right, and so the brooch has come to you.- That's right.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33Yes, to me and my two sisters,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36but my two sisters have given me permission to sell it in England.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Yeah, cos your mother and father, they were still living in Spain.
0:11:39 > 0:11:40They were still living in Spain, yes.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43I think it's absolutely beautiful. I mean, the detail in it.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47So we've got an 18-carat gold dove, beautifully worked,
0:11:47 > 0:11:51sitting on a crescent, set with old-cut and mine-cut diamonds.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55And then a sweet little pearl pendant at the base there.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58And he's also got little diamonds just in his wings and
0:11:58 > 0:12:02a tiny little ruby eye, but if you look closely, I mean,
0:12:02 > 0:12:06the work on the feathers of that little bird, absolutely exquisite.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09- And what a token of love. - That's what we always thought.- Yes.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12- I mean, a beautiful thing to buy for anybody.- Yes.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15- And I'm so glad she wore it.- Yes. - And she loved it in her time.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20- She appreciated it. She liked to wear jewellery, so yes.- Yes.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23But as you say, you'd almost worry about wearing it because you'd worry
0:12:23 > 0:12:26about it getting caught in things, or the little pearl off and a lot
0:12:26 > 0:12:29of collectors of jewellery from this just Edwardian period,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33they actually collect them more as decorative items and put them
0:12:33 > 0:12:37in little cabinets and they look absolutely charming.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41I mean, it shows off the diamonds beautifully in the little pearl.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44So people, yes, they do still wear old jewellery, but also there's
0:12:44 > 0:12:47the collectors' market for people that just love beautiful objects.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49- Beauty.- Obviously, it has value
0:12:49 > 0:12:52because it's made of a valuable metal,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54it's got diamonds in it, sweet little pearl.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Brooches aren't that popular, mainly because people don't wear
0:12:57 > 0:13:00brooches these days. They have become unfashionable.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02- Have you ever had it valued in the past at all?- No.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05- No, I haven't.- Well, OK.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09Its sale value, I think, is going to be in the region of £200 to £300.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12- Does that sound OK?- That's OK. Yes, that's OK with me.- Oh, good.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15I didn't think it was going to get that much because it's so tiny.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17Well, yes, but then, it's so beautiful.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20I mean, it doesn't have to be huge to be worth lots of money.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23- No, absolutely.- I think it's the quality of the workmanship.- Mm.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26- And obviously, your father had a very good eye.- He did.- Yeah.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Yeah, you know, it's quite unusual. Thank you so much for coming in.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33- It's been a pleasure and I'll see you at the auction.- Yeah, lovely. - Excellent.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35So, time for our continental piece to fly now,
0:13:35 > 0:13:39as we head to the auction house with our first three lots.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41And here's a reminder of what we're taking with us.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45There's the intricate silver trinket box.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Dug up in a garden, the axe head.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56And that beautifully made brooch.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03We've travelled an hour south-west to the Devon coast.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Well, the moment I've been waiting for, and you.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09We're going to up the tempo right now because it's auction time.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12We're putting those valuations to the test on the outskirts of
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Plymouth here at Eldreds saleroom.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16On the rostrum is auctioneer Anthony Eldred.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Right now, our owners are feeling really nervous.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21I'm going inside to catch up with them.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24The hammer's just about to go down on our first lot, so let's go in and enjoy the fun.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Commission here is 15% plus VAT.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32Going under the hammer right now, some continental silver.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35It's a German trinket box belonging to Maureen.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39You're in good company here, because silver has been selling well.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43- That's what I like to hear.- Yes. So, fingers crossed it happens for you as well.- Yes.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46- This is superb quality. - Well, it is nice quality and it's pretty and it would make
0:14:46 > 0:14:48- a good gift for somebody. - It's unusual.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50- The music bits on there are unusual. - Do you know what?
0:14:50 > 0:14:52You're right, actually. It's ready to go as a gift, isn't it?
0:14:52 > 0:14:55- Yes, that's right. Yeah, it is. - For a musician somewhere.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57It's going under the hammer now.
0:14:57 > 0:15:03The continental rectangular trinket box. And I'm bid £72 for it.
0:15:03 > 0:15:08At 72. Five. Eight. 80. Two. Five. At £85.
0:15:08 > 0:15:1088. 90.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14- Five. 100. And five. - This is good.- It is good.- 110.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16At £110, here.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Are you all finished? At £110.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22GAVEL BANGS
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Very good. You got it right, didn't you?
0:15:24 > 0:15:28- Well done. It's not easy being an expert.- Brilliant. Well done.
0:15:28 > 0:15:29Very good.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32- And thank you for bringing it in. - Thank you very much. I'm very happy.
0:15:32 > 0:15:37What a great start! Now, how will Frank's garden find fare?
0:15:37 > 0:15:42This stone has been fashioned, as you know, into an axe head 4,000 years ago.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44It really is quite fascinating to hold it as well, isn't it?
0:15:44 > 0:15:47- I mean, that's real history.- It is. You've got to hold it.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49- It's got some energy about it. - That's right.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53It does, yes. Right, it's going under the hammer right now. This is it.
0:15:53 > 0:15:54Stone axe head.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57There it is and it was dug up in Dawlish and dated
0:15:57 > 0:15:59between 4,000 and 2,000 BC.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03- And £80. At 85.- Nothing, is it?
0:16:03 > 0:16:07At £80, then. Are you all finished at 80?
0:16:07 > 0:16:11- That one can't quite be sold. - Didn't sell it. It didn't sell.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13No, I'm not surprised.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Oh, it's so hard to put a value on an artefact like that.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19I would have paid you £100 for it. But I can't. So, go to the museum.
0:16:19 > 0:16:24- Depends if you've got two people that want it here in the sale. - Yes, exactly.- There you go.
0:16:24 > 0:16:25What a shame.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Now, let's hope there are bidders out in force for the pretty
0:16:28 > 0:16:29dove brooch.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Maria, I love this. It's real quality.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34I hope this little dove flies away, I really do.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37It's not a lot of money for the amount of detail that's in
0:16:37 > 0:16:39there, is there, when you think about it?
0:16:39 > 0:16:42It's so pretty and as you look at it under a glass, I mean,
0:16:42 > 0:16:45- all the sort of work on the feathers and things, it's a lovely thing.- Mm.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47I can understand why you don't want to wear it any more.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50- It belongs to the whole of the family, in a way, it was Mum's.- Yes.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52- So, your sisters don't mind you selling it.- Not at all.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55- So, we're going to put it to the test right now.- Yes, yes.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59- I'm confident this will sell. - Yeah, I think so, yeah.
0:16:59 > 0:17:0418-carat yellow and white gold brooch. 150 starts it. At 150.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06- Come on.- At £150. 160, if you want it.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Looking for phone lines, internet bids, anything like that.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13At 180 now.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15At 180. Five. 190.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Five. At 195.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20200 now online. And ten.
0:17:20 > 0:17:25- At £210.- Still going. - Online at 210. 220 now. 230.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Still going. 240.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29250. At £250.
0:17:29 > 0:17:30260 now.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34270. At 270, then.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Last chance online.
0:17:36 > 0:17:37At £270.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42- Maria, the hammer's gone down. - Yes, yes.- £270.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44- Yeah.- Quality, quality, quality.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46- Thank you for bringing that in. - Thank you.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48- It's a good story as well.- Yes. - Lovely story with it.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50- So, thank you very much.- OK.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53£290.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Well, that's our first three lots under the hammer. So far, so good.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Before we return to the valuation day to find some more treasures
0:18:01 > 0:18:04to sell, I've been exploring Plymouth's maritime history -
0:18:04 > 0:18:07in particular, one extraordinary story that involves an
0:18:07 > 0:18:09incredible feat of engineering.
0:18:10 > 0:18:1414 miles south-west of Plymouth lie Eddystone Rocks.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16Sitting on a busy shipping route,
0:18:16 > 0:18:20they were known as Dread Eddystone because up to 50 ships
0:18:20 > 0:18:24a year and their crews were being lost on this treacherous reef.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28A solution was a lighthouse to mark the deadly spot,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32and Henry Winstanley's ornate wooden creation was the very first
0:18:32 > 0:18:35offshore light to be built in the world.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38It survived just five years before being swept away
0:18:38 > 0:18:40in the great storm of 1703.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47The next lighthouse lasted 50 years before being destroyed by fire.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Trinity House, which is responsible for the safe navigation of shipping
0:18:50 > 0:18:55and seafarers, permitted a private consortium to build a new light.
0:18:55 > 0:19:00And this is the result, Smeaton's Tower, named after John Smeaton,
0:19:00 > 0:19:04who was one of the first people to call himself a civil engineer.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06But this wasn't built here on Plymouth Hoe.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10Like the first two lighthouses, it started life out at sea,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14on Eddystone Rocks, which posed a real design challenge.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19What was needed was something more robust and fireproof.
0:19:19 > 0:19:24Something like this, designed by engineer John Smeaton.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28Now, he based his concept on an English oak tree,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31something with core strength, something with stability and
0:19:31 > 0:19:34foundations and roots, like an oak tree.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38And of course, he chose his design to be created out of stone.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40And not wood.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45Smeaton's light did its job on perilous Eddystone Rocks for
0:19:45 > 0:19:46more than a century,
0:19:46 > 0:19:50before being dismantled and re-erected here at Plymouth Hoe.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Curator Nigel Overton is going to explain why the stone
0:19:56 > 0:19:58construction was so radical.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03The challenge of building a rock lighthouse 14 miles out at
0:20:03 > 0:20:08sea was a pretty brave endeavour and, obviously, it took people
0:20:08 > 0:20:11like Smeaton to deliver a lighthouse on a sea-swept rock.
0:20:11 > 0:20:12The key to building in stone,
0:20:12 > 0:20:16apart from persuading people that it was practical, was to come up with
0:20:16 > 0:20:20a hydraulic mortar or a waterproof cement cos you're out on
0:20:20 > 0:20:24a sea-swept rock, you need a cement that's going to be able to go hard in those conditions.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Fortunately, in the mid-1750s, Smeaton met and lodged with
0:20:29 > 0:20:34William Cookworthy, who later went on to develop English porcelain.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Smeaton experimented with him and they came up with an ideal
0:20:37 > 0:20:40mixture that proved integral to the construction.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43But that was only part of the jigsaw.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47- There is hidden cleverness in the way the stonework is joined together.- You've got an example.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50And that's what we're going to show you with this, if we may, yeah.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54- Each of these blocks represents... - One of these. Yes, basically. - A block of Cornish limestone.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57- That's basically that, isn't it? - Yeah.- Cornish limestone.- Yeah.- OK.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01But between every block, there's a diamond-shaped piece of
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Purbeck marble that drops in there and that's a joint stone.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08Smeaton was worried when the building moves, as it's going to,
0:21:08 > 0:21:12out on a sea-swept rock, he didn't want those vertical joints to open up and let the water in.
0:21:12 > 0:21:17- Right.- So the joint stone prevents that problem.- Oh, I see, yes. Stops it filtering through.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21Then, to clamp each stone together, over the top of the join and inset
0:21:21 > 0:21:25inside the masonry is a staple or a cramp,
0:21:25 > 0:21:29- so those two blocks now can't easily part from each other.- OK.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33And then in the middle of each block of masonry is a joggle stone, this
0:21:33 > 0:21:37was called, of Plymouth limestone, and then is you put the joggle stone in each of the neighbouring blocks,
0:21:37 > 0:21:41- then the next block above links to those.- Ah.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45So, the joggle stone has the effect of linking each block
0:21:45 > 0:21:48on the course above to two of the stones on the course below.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50So, it keeps that accurate in a course.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52It's a simple but remarkably clever device.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55It's interesting, Smeaton himself was quoted to say that,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58"I don't want this lighthouse to last one age, or two ages.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00"I want it to be there in perpetuity."
0:22:00 > 0:22:02So, he was thinking long-term.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05And indeed, it stood on the Eddystone for 123 years,
0:22:05 > 0:22:07so it did its job on the Eddystone.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11It was replaced in May of 1882 by the present lighthouse and
0:22:11 > 0:22:13this lighthouse was re-erected on the Hoe and
0:22:13 > 0:22:16- has been here itself now for over 130 years.- Even longer.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19One of the reasons it was replaced was that they were concerned
0:22:19 > 0:22:21that there's a cavern in the reef which was getting slowly
0:22:21 > 0:22:25enlarged by the action of the waves and they felt that eventually,
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Smeaton's Tower would crumble and fall.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31It must have been one hell of a project to dismantle it out there and bring it back here.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Well, I think that's important to get across.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36I mean, Trinity House were pondering a controlled explosion,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38or possibly dismantling,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41but various people stepped in offering to buy the building,
0:22:41 > 0:22:45but Plymouth Corporation had a meeting, they decided they wanted to bring it back.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47They were just developing Plymouth Hoe here as
0:22:47 > 0:22:49a public park and they had a place for it.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53There was a navigational obelisk where this building now stands.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55So they were going to build it, re-erect it here.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57It was going to be a memorial to Smeaton.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01And it was also going to be a day mark, a navigational mark, so it
0:23:01 > 0:23:06would still carry on fulfilling some sort of navigational function. It's obviously become a landmark.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Most people don't even realise that it spent the first half of
0:23:09 > 0:23:11its life out at sea.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16More than a century ago,
0:23:16 > 0:23:18three lighthouse keepers worked in this building,
0:23:18 > 0:23:20obviously in alternating shifts,
0:23:20 > 0:23:24keeping an eye on the light in the lantern, which is just up there.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27You can see through the scoop of light.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31Now, there's mention in one of their logbooks of this building
0:23:31 > 0:23:33moving like an old oak tree,
0:23:33 > 0:23:37swaying as it was being battered by the high winds.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40And in one particular storm, in 1824,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43there's mention of the waves being so high and powerful that they
0:23:43 > 0:23:48reached the top of the lighthouse, shattering the glass in the lantern.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50Must have been a strange existence.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55There's something really special about lighthouses like these.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58This particular one has stood the test of time,
0:23:58 > 0:24:00both out at sea and here on dry land,
0:24:00 > 0:24:05and it's highly unlikely that any more of this design will ever be
0:24:05 > 0:24:08built again, so it makes it really, really special to be up here.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11And it's brilliant that this one's open to the general public
0:24:11 > 0:24:15because future generations get to appreciate the endeavour,
0:24:15 > 0:24:19the achievement that went in to building this.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23And you get to experience this and of course, when you're at the top, look at that view!
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Back at Powderham Castle now,
0:24:34 > 0:24:38which has seen its own fair share of moves and changes.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41At the valuation tables, our experts are doing their best to keep
0:24:41 > 0:24:44up the pace and Will's joining Jill's club.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Jill, you look like a well travelled lady.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51Tell me, is this something you've picked up abroad on one of
0:24:51 > 0:24:53your excursions?
0:24:53 > 0:24:55- No, that was a gift from a friend. - Was it?- Yes.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59- I did a bit of research on it and it's Fijian.- You're dead right.
0:24:59 > 0:25:00And from your research,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03- you've probably found out what this was used for.- It's a killing club.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06It was a killing club, exactly what it was used for.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09They're called ulas, U-L-A, so a Fijian ula.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11And of its type, a very nice one.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14I mean, I'm finding it difficult to keep my hands off it.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18- I know, it's very tactile. - It's just screaming out to be held.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22You feel the weight of it and it just sits nicely. You're safe.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Don't go for it!
0:25:24 > 0:25:27It just sits nicely in your hand, doesn't it? It's well weighted.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31- It's beautiful. - It's beautifully made. And actually, quite commercial.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34The market for tribal or ethnographic antiques is
0:25:34 > 0:25:36actually very strong on the continent.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40- Really? - Big market for this type of piece.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44Now, as far as value goes, there's quite a wide range of values,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47depending on the size, the quality, the condition.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51- But would this detract from the value?- I don't think so.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54- I think that's part of the natural make-up of the club, isn't it?- OK.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Because my understanding is that these were made in
0:25:57 > 0:25:59a similar way to the Zulu Knobkerries,
0:25:59 > 0:26:04in that they were made from a protruding branch and the actual
0:26:04 > 0:26:09- head of the club is the sort of base of the branch within the main trunk. - Right.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12So that's where the wood is very hard and very dense and I've seen
0:26:12 > 0:26:15some like this that have got various bits of decoration on the heads.
0:26:15 > 0:26:20- You've got mother-of-pearl inlay, bone inlay, and you were telling me earlier...- Teeth.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23Human teeth. I mean, that's quite something, isn't it?
0:26:23 > 0:26:26- Is that natural patina?- Yeah. Exactly right.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Exactly, that is just the build up of colour from being handled,
0:26:29 > 0:26:34held, the natural oils from our hands just react as well, the air
0:26:34 > 0:26:38reacts with the wood, and just gives it this lovely rich, deep colour.
0:26:38 > 0:26:43- It's beautiful, isn't it? - You can get very large ones, which were more used as weapons,
0:26:43 > 0:26:47hand-to-hand combat, against, you know, rival tribes.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51- This one, I think, generally used for animal hunting.- Really?- Yeah.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55I think so. Easy to carry, easy to take with you, easy to throw.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58I mean, you get that on the back of the head, you're going to know about it, aren't you?
0:26:58 > 0:27:02- You're not going to wake up, no. - You're going to end up some Fijian tribe's dinner.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05Now, I think the market for this is strong at the moment.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10Price-wise, I'm going to say to you - estimate £400 to £600.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14- That's going to be an attractive estimate to potential buyers.- Right.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17And the reserve, I think, we're going to fix at £400.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21- That's fine.- Is that OK?- Yeah. - Well, I think, in that case,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24I'm almost certain that this is going to find a new home and
0:27:24 > 0:27:27I wouldn't be surprised, like I said, if it's somewhere abroad.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31- Might go home.- Might do. Let's flog it and find out.- OK.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33- I'll see you at the auction. - Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Time for some fresh air now and Claire's found
0:27:35 > 0:27:38a nice spot on the terrace.
0:27:38 > 0:27:39Joan, you've brought in
0:27:39 > 0:27:42two completely different types of watches. Both ladies' watches.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45One a fob, which predated the wristwatches,
0:27:45 > 0:27:47which, of course, are more 20th century.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49So they're both quite different.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51They're both divided by quite a few years.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54But tell me a bit about them before I give you an idea.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57They were both given to me for my 21st birthday.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00The modern Omega watch was given to me by my mother.
0:28:00 > 0:28:05And the fob watch was given to me by my aunt, who was also my godmother.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09And it actually was her 21st birthday present from her mother
0:28:09 > 0:28:14and father, so it's been in the family since the early 1900s.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16The only thing is, I don't wear them.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18There's nothing much you can do with the fob watch.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21What I'd like is to put the money towards
0:28:21 > 0:28:23a ring that I can remember the family with.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Yeah, that's very sensible, really, because as you say, I mean,
0:28:26 > 0:28:29wristwatches, OK, you either like them or you don't and wear them.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33As you say, a fob watch or a pocket watch, they're not very practical in this day and age, are they?
0:28:33 > 0:28:36And they don't always keep very good time. They are terribly pretty.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40It's an 18-carat cased watch. Very, very decorative.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43You've got the gold dial with the blued numerals and the blued hand.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45It's a nice quality watch.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48It will have a very attractive decoration on the back of it.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50And a sort of vacant, as they call it, cartouche,
0:28:50 > 0:28:54which might have had initials in it once upon a time.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57But really pretty. And very much the sort of thing a lady would wear on
0:28:57 > 0:29:01a chain that would either sort of fit... Cos they didn't really have pockets in those days.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03It would sort of be pinned on you, sometimes as a brooch or
0:29:03 > 0:29:07a chain that would go into a sort of chatelaine, that type of thing.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09But it is a nice quality one.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11Moving onto the 20th century,
0:29:11 > 0:29:14we have the nine-carat lady's Omega wristwatch.
0:29:14 > 0:29:19Now, ladies' watches never seem as popular as gents' watches.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21It's a very good make, very, very expensive.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24A gents' Omega will still be worn
0:29:24 > 0:29:27and is fashionable and very expensive.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30The ladies' watches, however, unfortunately tend to come
0:29:30 > 0:29:33down to their gold weight because ladies these days seem to
0:29:33 > 0:29:37prefer silver jewellery and I think ladies just wear bigger watches.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39They have bigger dials on them.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41- I know I do. - Yeah, I'm the same as well.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44And so the delicate watches are going rather out of favour.
0:29:44 > 0:29:45Now, we have weighed this.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48We're looking at about 20g of nine-carat gold.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52So I'm afraid, to a certain extent, it's based on the gold price.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54This one is a different kettle of fish.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58- It is higher-carat gold, but it is a collector's piece.- Right.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00So, I think out of the two of them, that would be more a sort of
0:30:00 > 0:30:04collector's item, whereas that is more of a sort of jewellery item.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07But having said that, this is the one that carries more value
0:30:07 > 0:30:10because it has more gold in it. And it is a good make.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13When you come to sell them, I think they should be offered as two
0:30:13 > 0:30:16separate lots, because they will appeal to different buyers.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20I've put this watch in at about... Around about the £200.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23I think it's going to work out at about 180 to 220 -
0:30:23 > 0:30:26it will very much depend on the gold value.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29But the name does also add some value as well.
0:30:29 > 0:30:30OK, that sounds fine.
0:30:30 > 0:30:35Now, this one, I'd say about 140, 150,
0:30:35 > 0:30:40so I'd suggest putting a reserve at 130, just under the low estimate.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44- Can we have it at 140, please? As a reserve.- Yes.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46I think we can probably just about agree that.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50- Oh, you drive a hard bargain! That's fine.- Thank you.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52Well, I think they'll go well because, at the end of the day,
0:30:52 > 0:30:56they've both got good gold value in them and the market is good for that at the moment.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59So I shall look forward to seeing them at the auction and seeing how they do.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01- Lovely, thank you very much. - Oh, thank you for coming in today.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09Now, earlier, we heard about Smeaton's Tower, the lighthouse that
0:31:09 > 0:31:14was originally at Eddystone Rocks near Plymouth, and then relocated to the Hoe.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17But it's not the only building in Devon to be physically picked up
0:31:17 > 0:31:21and moved - there was another one. A 15th-century merchant's house.
0:31:21 > 0:31:26And to tell me more about it, I've just been joined by Exeter archivist Peter Thomas.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28- Pleased to meet you, Paul. - Thank you for joining me today.
0:31:28 > 0:31:29Now, what are you going to show me?
0:31:29 > 0:31:33This is what we like to see, as archivists and collectors,
0:31:33 > 0:31:37- being a stunning scene...- Oh, isn't that nice?- ..of the old city.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40The post-war rebuilding of Exeter actually created
0:31:40 > 0:31:44a new inner bypass on the south and west side.
0:31:44 > 0:31:49And standing in the way of the inner bypass was a very early building.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52Number 16 Edmund Street.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56In the 1950s, the city council wanted to demolish it.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00The government stepped in and placed a preservation order on it,
0:32:00 > 0:32:03backed by all the notable organisations, nationally,
0:32:03 > 0:32:05in the country, to preserve this building.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09The end result of it was that it was actually physically moved,
0:32:09 > 0:32:12and one of the first buildings in the country to actually have
0:32:12 > 0:32:13that practice done on it.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17So then the building was lifted up.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20A trolley with huge iron wheels was put underneath it,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23and it was winched up the street, 100 yards,
0:32:23 > 0:32:28and today, of course, it stands on the site of the old West Gate,
0:32:28 > 0:32:32- and as everybody knows, it's called The House That Moved.- How lovely.
0:32:32 > 0:32:33Do you know what?
0:32:33 > 0:32:35The next time I go to Exeter, I'm going to look out for it.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39And thank you so much for coming in. It's been a pleasure talking to you.
0:32:39 > 0:32:40Thank you.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45We need to get a move on. There are valuations to be done,
0:32:45 > 0:32:48and Will's got his eye on something with an oriental flavour.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53Pamela, tell me you haven't had to travel as far as this little
0:32:53 > 0:32:56chap to get here today. Are you local to Powderham?
0:32:56 > 0:32:59- No, not quite. Live on Dartmoor. - Oh, lovely.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02- I bet it's nice up there, isn't it? - Yes, it's wonderful.- I can imagine.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04Tell me, why have you brought a little bit of China with you
0:33:04 > 0:33:08here today? I say China as in the country, rather than porcelain.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11- Well, I've had him for 60 years. - Right.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14- And I love him dearly, but my children don't.- Oh, you're joking?
0:33:14 > 0:33:17So I want to see him go to a good home.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19And then let them enjoy the money.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21Well, you've come to the right place.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23We shall do our very best for you.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25But first of all, you say you've had him 60 years.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28Tell me, something you've inherited or purchased yourself?
0:33:28 > 0:33:31- No, bought at auction as one of four.- Interesting.
0:33:31 > 0:33:37- So you're a keen auction goer, are you?- Used to be.- Yes?- Not recently.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41Were you interested in oriental pieces before you bought this chap?
0:33:41 > 0:33:44Yes, I was, because I lived in Singapore for three years
0:33:44 > 0:33:48when I was young. And we brought back quite a lot of oriental things.
0:33:48 > 0:33:49- This wasn't one of them. - This wasn't.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52This was a new addition, as you say, from the auction.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56Have you done any research into him? Can you tell me anything about him?
0:33:56 > 0:33:59- Well, somebody told me that he was Chinese.- Yes, I would agree.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02- And that he was an incense burner. - Yes.
0:34:02 > 0:34:07- But I was intrigued by how he was made.- OK.- And when.
0:34:07 > 0:34:11Well, when can be a little bit tricky because the Chinese tradition
0:34:11 > 0:34:15for bronze pieces started thousands of years ago
0:34:15 > 0:34:20and they were generally ceremonial pieces, or religious pieces,
0:34:20 > 0:34:22rather than pieces for decoration.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26So I think this has been made to be used.
0:34:26 > 0:34:27So date-wise,
0:34:27 > 0:34:30I think it's definitely earlier than 20th century because a lot
0:34:30 > 0:34:34of these pieces came out of China in the 1920s, that sort of period.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37So I'm going to err on early 19th century.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39Do you know where it came from when you bought it?
0:34:39 > 0:34:44- Well, no, I think it came from a retired Army man...- OK.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47..who put a whole lot of these into this one sale.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51That's quite interesting. So, he was retired, so he's obviously of a certain age.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54- Which would then take that back perhaps...- Back a little bit further.- Exactly.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57Which again adds an element of confidence to the buyer.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59Because make no mistake,
0:34:59 > 0:35:03- the Chinese are very good at producing these last week... - Oh, absolutely.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05..to make them look like they've been around hundreds of years.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08- I think he's a bit more age to him than that.- Exactly.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11I mean, some of this patination of the bronze makes
0:35:11 > 0:35:15me think that he's not new, he has got age to him.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17Occasionally they are marked underneath.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19This one isn't, I've had a look.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22But again you have to be careful with Chinese marks, certainly
0:35:22 > 0:35:27on bronzes, because they almost revere back to an earlier time.
0:35:27 > 0:35:32What they're doing there is, they're almost offering reverence to past dynasties to give good luck
0:35:32 > 0:35:36to this piece they're making in the same sort of style.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39Now, the market has gone off the boil a little bit.
0:35:39 > 0:35:44But even so, I think this is a nice piece, good, compact size,
0:35:44 > 0:35:47nicely detailed, well cast.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49If I open him up, obviously that's where the incense would go.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53And then you can imagine the plumes of smoke coming out of the mouth.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57- Absolutely.- I'm looking at an estimate of...
0:35:57 > 0:36:00I'm thinking of around the sort of £300 mark.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03I mean, how does that sound? You want it gone, don't you?
0:36:03 > 0:36:06Well, yes, I do because the value in him for me
0:36:06 > 0:36:09- has been 60 years of love. - Interesting, that's lovely.
0:36:09 > 0:36:10So I can hold on to that.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14Well, listen, why don't we put my sort of estimate as the top
0:36:14 > 0:36:17- figure and say 200 to 300? - I think that would be nice.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21Yeah. Let's protect him with a £200 reserve and maybe just
0:36:21 > 0:36:23a little bit of discretion for the auctioneer.
0:36:23 > 0:36:29If he gets to 180, 190, rather than not sell it for the sake of £10.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31I think if he doesn't make his...
0:36:31 > 0:36:34- Reserve.- ..reserve, I'll take him home.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36Well, listen, it's been fascinating talking to you.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40Thank you for sharing your story concerning our friend here.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44Well, I'm pretty confident we'll see him away for you, so wave bye-bye.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52It's been fascinating exploring Powderham Castle,
0:36:52 > 0:36:55and there are still secret passageways and rooms
0:36:55 > 0:36:57I haven't managed to look at yet.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01But it's a place you can come back time and time again and spot
0:37:01 > 0:37:03something new or something that's been moved.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07Well, our experts have now found their final items to take off to auction,
0:37:07 > 0:37:12which means we have to say farewell to this magnificent host location.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14While we test the market for the last time in the saleroom, here's
0:37:14 > 0:37:17a quick recap of all the items that are going...
0:37:17 > 0:37:20under the hammer.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22There's the mysterious Fijian ula.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27Two timepieces - an Omega watch...
0:37:30 > 0:37:33..and an older fob.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38And the bronze dog, all the way from China.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45We're back at the auction rooms with high expectations,
0:37:45 > 0:37:47and Anthony Eldred is in charge.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51Going under the hammer right now, we have some ethnographica.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54Yes, that's right, some tribal art.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58And we have a new ethnographica expert, Will "The Axe" Axon.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00I see the auctioneer has tickled my estimate.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04You had four to six on this club, the auctioneer has now said...
0:38:04 > 0:38:06- Three to four or three to five. - Three to four.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08- Three to four.- Yes. - Why did he say that?
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Did he get on the phone to you and talk to you about it?
0:38:10 > 0:38:14Yes, he did, but I couldn't understand why he dropped it.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18Maybe he doesn't feel confident that it's going to do Will's estimate.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20Enjoy this moment - it's going to sell.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23Here we go, it's going under the hammer, this is it.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27The Fijian ula, or throwing club, and £260 for that.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29At 260. 70. 270.
0:38:29 > 0:38:3280. 290, 300. And ten.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36At £310. 20 if you want it. At £310, then.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39Bidding's in the room. At £310.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41Last chance at 310.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46- Well, it's gone down, £310.- I would have hoped for a little bit more.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50I don't think there was any internet or phone-line bidding on that.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53The guy in the room got lucky there. No-one challenged his next bid.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57- It'd be interesting to know what he would have gone up to, though, wouldn't it?- Yes.- Never mind.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00That's called holding your cards close to your chest.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02Jill, it's gone. It's had a good life.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05'Hopefully there'll be more interest in the next duo.'
0:39:05 > 0:39:09Going under the hammer right now, we have Joan's nine-carat gold
0:39:09 > 0:39:13lady's Omega wristwatch. It's a great watch. And it was your watch.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16- 21st birthday present.- 21st birthday present from my mother.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19- God, that was a posh present. - It was a very posh present.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22- Wow, Mummy spent a lot of money on you.- She did.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24A good dress watch, nevertheless, it's nine-carat gold.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26Great Swiss movement. The name should sell it.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28OK, there are watch collectors out there,
0:39:28 > 0:39:31so it's going to go to a collector.
0:39:31 > 0:39:32He said. THEY LAUGH
0:39:32 > 0:39:36- Very positive there.- Yes. Well, you've got to be, haven't you?
0:39:36 > 0:39:38There's no turning back from this spot right now,
0:39:38 > 0:39:41because it's just about to go under the hammer.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43Omega wristwatch.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46I'm bid 150 for it. At £150 on my book.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48- 160, 170.- That's great.- 180. - Brilliant.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51At 180 now. At 180, then.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55Take five. We're all done, then, at £180.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59- That has gone down. Straight in and straight out.- Very businesslike.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02Yeah. £180.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05Good result. So that's 180 for the first part of the lot.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09And the second part of the lot is the 18-carat-gold pocket watch,
0:40:09 > 0:40:12which is about to be put under the hammer. Here we go.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14The continental, open-face, keyless pocket watch.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17£100 for that, at 100. And ten.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20120. 130. And five. 140.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23- Come on.- At £140.- Come on, come on. - Seated in front.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26- Last chance, then, online. - That's good, £140.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29- That's very good.- That's not bad, is it?- No, no.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32- Brilliant, brilliant. That's £320. - That's all right, isn't it?
0:40:32 > 0:40:33That's all right.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37- We're happy, aren't we? - Very happy, actually.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40'The pressure's on now for the globetrotting bronze dog.'
0:40:40 > 0:40:43I love this - it's either late 18th or early 19th, isn't it?
0:40:43 > 0:40:46It's bronze, it's Chinese, it's flavour of the month.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49I think this will fly, this censer. I really do.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52Hopefully more than the two to three, Will. I know you've got to be cautious.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Got to be cautious. But it's got good provenance.
0:40:55 > 0:40:56You can trace back the history,
0:40:56 > 0:41:00certainly enough to give the buyers confidence, I would hope.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02I think the internet will be a factor in this lot.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04Right, we're going to find out what the bidders think.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Hopefully those phone lines are booked and we've got some
0:41:07 > 0:41:09internet bidding all the way from the Far East.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12It's going under the hammer right now. This is it, Pamela, over there.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15The Chinese bronze censer, in the form of a standing kaolin.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18I'm bid £310 for it. To start at 310.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21- At £310 for it.- Good.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24Against you on the net. 310, 320. 330.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27340. 350. 360. 370.
0:41:27 > 0:41:31He's got a bit left on the book. He keeps looking down.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33390 now. 400.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36410. 420. 430. I'm bid 450.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40- Well, you're not taking it home, I can tell you that much.- 460 online.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44- At 480.- It's a great looking thing, isn't it?- It stands well.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47- As censers go, yes.- Good colour.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50540. 560. 580.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52600. 620 now.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55What's nice about someone bidding in the room is you know they've
0:41:55 > 0:41:58seen it, they've handled it, they have confidence in it.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01680. 700.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04- And 20. 740.- Still going.- 760.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07780. 800.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09Anything oriental, as you know -
0:42:09 > 0:42:11mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore...
0:42:11 > 0:42:14Everybody is buying this back.
0:42:14 > 0:42:15880.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18- 900. 20 if you want. - It'd be nice to get 1,000.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21Pamela, we might be getting £1,000.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24At 940 now. 960.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28Come on, don't stop there. Don't stop there!
0:42:28 > 0:42:30- 1,000.- Oh!
0:42:30 > 0:42:33At 1,050. 1,100.
0:42:33 > 0:42:361,200. And 50.
0:42:36 > 0:42:391,300. At 1,350.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42At 1,350, it will be...
0:42:42 > 0:42:45He's working well, the auctioneer, for us.
0:42:45 > 0:42:481,400. And 50. 1,500.
0:42:49 > 0:42:54- 1,500! We're so close, losing it for £50.- Against the net.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57- It is so hard when you're the underbidder.- At 1,500.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59- And 50.- Still going.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01- Shall I faint?- No...
0:43:01 > 0:43:04£1,550. Very last chance.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06The hammer's going down. Yes!
0:43:06 > 0:43:10Pamela, that is fantastic, isn't it?
0:43:10 > 0:43:13- That is brilliant!- Thank you.- Wow!
0:43:13 > 0:43:16It's so hard, it is so hard for an expert to put
0:43:16 > 0:43:19a price on something like that. What a way to end today's show.
0:43:19 > 0:43:20I hope you've enjoyed it.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22We said there'd be a big surprise at the end,
0:43:22 > 0:43:25and we delivered. And I hope you did enjoy it.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28But do join us again for many more to come in the future,
0:43:28 > 0:43:30but now, from Plymouth, it's goodbye.