Balbirnie Flog It!


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Welcome to a special edition of Flog It!

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On this immaculately laid lawn on one of our sunniest evaluation days,

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I came across something that promised to be

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one of the most exciting finds we've ever had in the history of the show.

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Something so exceptional, we've dedicated the whole programme to it.

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What is it? Stay tuned and you'll find out!

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Where does this extraordinary story begin? Balbirnie House

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in the middle of Fife, a beautiful stately home and now a hotel,

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was the venue for one of our valuation days in the summer of 2010.

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1890 to 1900.

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With experts James Lewis and Anita Manning on board to value items.

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-They're very cutesie, aren't they?

-They're lovely!

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We had a lovely welcome from hundreds of local people who came along with some great objects.

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A wonderful little pair of vases.

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They are, of course, Moorcroft, which is one of my favourites.

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I was not expecting to find a piece of Japanese art here in Fife.

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-What did you use that for?

-Well, I wouldn't like to tell you!

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What's your name?

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Lucky?

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Lucky. How appropriate. This day was going to be a very lucky one indeed

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for one man.

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I was doing my usual thing, meeting as many people as I could,

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delving into all their bags and boxes to see what they'd brought in to show us.

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Little did I know I was about to uncover the most incredible treasure,

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something I always dream about finding.

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I got chatting to a lovely chap called Tom

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who'd brought along something that his grandfather had owned.

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Let's see the moment where our story started.

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It doesn't get much better than this, does it, everybody?

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We're blessed with gorgeous sunshine, a wonderful backdrop for our valuation day

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and we're surrounded by some superb antiques.

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I've been joined by Tom and I think this has to be

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one of the nicest things I've ever seen on Flog It!

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and possibly one of the most valuable items

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we've ever had on the show.

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-You know what this is, don't you?

-It's a libation cup.

-Yes.

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Did you know that? It's a ceremonial drinking vessel.

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Do you know what it's made of?

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A shell or something?

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-No.

-Wood?

-Whale bone?

-No.

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It's got a grain in it.

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There's a grain detail. Lots of compressed hair.

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But it's in fact, rhinoceros horn.

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Yes. And this dates back to the late 18th century.

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The last quarter of the 18th century.

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Let's talk about the damage. You can see how it was used as a drinking vessel.

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-Yes.

-There are one or two chips.

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Bits of damage to the horn.

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Here are some mythical beasts climbing the side of the cup,

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terminating into this head.

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Half a head is missing there. Can you see?

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But if you turn it over, you can actually see

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the compressed hair and almost the grain of the horn.

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-See that? That's definitely horn.

-Uh-huh.

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But look at this wonderful Greek key-cut pattern

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in repetitive form, all around the edge, not just the top edge

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but also on the side.

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-See that?

-Oh, yes.

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It's a lovely architectural detail.

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I think that's one of the rarest things

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we've ever seen on the show.

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-Tell me about yourself. Are you a local lad?

-Yes,

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I'm a local from Glenrothes.

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I've been there all my life.

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I received it down through from my grandfather and great-grandfather.

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Where do you think he got it?

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It's hard to say, since he was all round the world.

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He could have obviously got it in one of the African countries.

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Where's it been in your house over all these years?

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This has been many years in a glass cabinet

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-kept in our living room.

-So you've been looking after it.

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Of course, it's totally illegal to trade in rhino horn now.

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Totally illegal. This was done back in the 18th century.

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Many of them come on the market now.

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They're highly sought-after in the Chinese market.

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The market in the Far East.

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How much do you think that's worth?

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Well, listening to what you've said...

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You've said you think it's slightly valuable.

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A couple of hundred pounds?

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A couple of hundred. Yeah?

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A couple of hundred pounds.

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I've got to be so careful here. We've got to do an awful lot more research.

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OK? But do you know what my gut feeling is?

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It's a lot more than that?

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A heck of a lot more. My gut feeling is this is worth

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eight to £12,000.

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Yes.

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I'm not pulling your leg.

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I've seen these in good condition,

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period ones from the 18th century,

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go as high as £20,000.

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There's a lot of money's-worth here.

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-Well...

-It could be even more.

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It could be even more than eight to £12,000.

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-I'm quite happy!

-Quite happy!

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I've always had a sort of inkling

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but all I knew was that it was a libation cup.

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-Yeah.

-And of course I knew it was slightly damaged

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so that's what stopped me bringing it anywhere before.

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-Really?

-Yes.

-Otherwise you may have tried to sell it on?

-Of course.

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Gosh. If somebody had offered you two or three hundred pounds six months ago,

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-would you have taken it?

-Probably, yeah.

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Oh, dear. This is why it always pays...

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Do you know, I do think the antiques trade in general is very honest.

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No-one's going to take you for a ride.

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But in order to get a proper market value,

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the easiest and purest thing to do is take it to an auction where the public can bid on it.

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The auctioneer will get this on a website that will go all over the world.

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So people in all countries can place their bids.

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We won't even bother discussing a reserve and putting pen to paper at the moment

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because I do need a second opinion on this.

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Let's wait for that. We'll get on the phone to you in a couple of weeks' time

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and hopefully we'll find out exactly what this is worth.

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I can tell you, my heart was racing. I was so excited.

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I didn't want to get Tom too excited at this stage.

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I'd never given such a high valuation in my ten years on the show.

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So we sent the cup to an auction house in London

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who informed me it definitely was Chinese and the best place to sell this

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was a specialist Chinese art sale which was coming up in a few months' time.

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Coming up later in the programme,

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does our Chinese art specialist agree with my hopeful valuation?

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We have to remember that there are chips to it and it has sustained some damage.

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I discover why a cup made from rhino horn was so popular in previous centuries.

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There are certain beliefs about rhino horns that it can detect poison.

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As far-fetched as it may seem, there could be truth to this.

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And I find out why Chinese items like ours are such hot property at the moment.

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The Chinese antique, for them, is a brand

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and it's an expensive object to show you've made your money

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and you can afford to collect a status symbol.

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But first, we have to find out a bit more about libation cups

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and why examples like Tom's are particularly well regarded.

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Tom's cup, a Chinese carved example,

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might well be described as simply a rhino horn cup.

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It might not have fulfilled a ceremonial function.

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But instead may have been a prestigious item on display

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in a wealthy home, used for honoured guests.

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To find out more about these exotic objects,

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I went to Bath to meet Michael Lee, the curator of the Museum of East Asian Art.

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Where do you start? Let's look at a few examples.

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Talk me through this one.

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If you invert any of these cups, you see the shape of the rhinoceros horn.

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So if a carver wants to create something out of rhino horn,

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it's almost like he has to consult the shape first and carve according to the shape.

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It's such a valuable material, they save as much of it as possible.

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I've seen some with naturalistic bases with leaves and foliage.

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I guess that's the gnarly parts of the horn that they've left on.

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Absolutely. In some pieces, such as this one, they didn't even bother to carve. Essentially,

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they kept all the nodules and the rough bits

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and then polished it and smoothed it off, so you still get the natural shape of the horn.

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These are 16th-century examples.

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The three back here which are carved tend to be 18th and 19th centuries.

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-So later there's more of an emphasis on carving.

-Let's talk about the colours, the tone of it.

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Generally speaking, rhino horns will have a lighter, honey colour.

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But much of it is also stained, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries.

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-For instance, this piece is quite a dark colour.

-That's been heavily stained.

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This has been stained, yes.

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-That one, that's not rhino horn, is it?

-No, it's actually made from bamboo.

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I think two reasons why they would have used bamboo to make cups that are reminiscent of rhino horn.

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First of all, because bamboo grows in sections.

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Each section is self contained, so if you cut a section off,

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you get a cup-like form already.

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But also, if you look closely at the internal structure of rhino horn,

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you get a grain in there and you get a similar grain in bamboo.

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It's not meant to be a fake by any means...

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No, it's obvious. It's obvious.

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It's obvious it's bamboo, so this was made in reference to rhino horn cups.

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That's stunning.

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-Master craftsmen.

-Yes.

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Bamboo is quite difficult to cut because of the nature of the material.

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-At least there's a lot to practise on!

-There is, yes!

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Let's look at some other examples.

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So this is another cup that would be similar to the function of a rhino horn cup.

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This is made out of jade.

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It dates to the 11th or 12th century.

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Would you find carvers in rhino horn working in jade and vice versa?

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No. Each material has very specialised carvers

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because you need a lot of technology and knowledge

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according to the material.

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For instance, jade is so hard, you need to abrade it instead of just carving it.

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So that involves a whole set of technology and tools and so forth.

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-A lifetime of skills.

-Absolutely.

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Whereas rhino horn sometimes can be shaped by soaking in brine

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and manipulated in certain ways that a jade carver wouldn't necessarily know.

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The craftsmen were very specialised in the material they were working with.

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The prestige of rhino horn as a material

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dates back over 2,000 years to when rhinos once roamed mainland China.

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Their horns would have been used in traditional medicine

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and works of art.

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However, the Chinese tradition of carving rhino horn cups pretty much died out

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at the end of the 19th century

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and now, thankfully, China bans trade in the material.

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Why was rhino horn so popular as a material?

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Well, first of all, it was very difficult to obtain.

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Rhinos had died out in China a very long time ago.

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So it had to be imported from either south-east Asia or Africa.

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Also there are certain beliefs about rhino horns that they can detect poison.

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This belief was not only in China. It was prevalent in the Middle East

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and even reached Europe in the 12th century.

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Now, as far-fetched as it may seem,

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there could be truth to this.

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Rhino horn is composed of mainly keratin, the same material as is in your hair or fingernails.

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Most poisons are alkali, alkali based.

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So when alkali comes into contact with keratin,

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it actually does have a fizzing effect.

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So it's not so far-fetched to think that rhino horn cups can actually detect poison.

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There are also certain beliefs around rhino horns such as longevity.

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The superstition that rhino horn leads to long life

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dates back thousands of years in China.

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It was first referred to in an ancient Chinese book of poetry

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called The Book of Songs.

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It states that people would visit the palace of their local prince

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on the tenth month of each lunar year

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to offer wine and raise a rhino horn cup wishing the prince a long life.

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Gosh. Michael, thank you so much for spending a bit of time with me

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and explaining all about the libation cups and drinking vessels.

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Well, that was a real treat, seeing so many beautiful and intricate objects.

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But the bonus for me was meeting up with Michael today

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because he's spent his life studying Asian and Chinese artefacts.

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It's his passion. Those two hours that I spent with him, I hope some knowledge has rubbed off on me.

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I now feel more comfortable talking about libation cups and what we're putting into auction.

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But I haven't covered that all-important question about how much they're worth.

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I needed to do some research.

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Just looking at auction results, things in the last 12 months.

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Some of them are fetching 15 to £20,000.

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The world record is £3.2 million,

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but they seem to be going all the way back to mainland China.

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I can't help feel excited. I'm on this rollercoaster ride.

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Goodness knows what Tom's feeling. I'm frightened it's not going to sell,

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but at the same time I want it to do 20 to £30,000.

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I want a real shock result.

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You know what auctions are like. It isn't an exact science, as we say.

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I just hope, I just hope it sells.

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Tom's agreed to put the cup into the specialist sale and his sister, Evelyn, will share the results.

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I saw them to find out how they were feeling.

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Tell me more about you both.

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I started work as a television engineer.

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Then I joined the army.

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I spent a lot of time in Germany.

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I was in the nuclear regiment,

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-which some things I can't talk about.

-Really? Top secret.

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Yes.

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-What about you, Evelyn?

-I used to work in Thomas Russell's paper mill on 12-hour shifts.

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-Did you?

-Yes.

-Doing what?

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Just packing the paper and things like that.

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But it was quite heavy work.

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But about eight years ago, I got Parkinson's Disease.

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-So I had to stop working.

-Sorry to hear that.

-I'm now disabled and work in a local charity shop.

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The valuation day, about six weeks ago. What was going through your mind in the morning?

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I actually thought it would be worth quite a lot

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because I looked it up in an antique book

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and there was one that had sold at Christie's which was similar.

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It had sold for about 5,000.

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-I looked at the photograph and I thought, "That looks like the one we've got."

-Yes.

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He didn't think it would be very valuable cos it had a bit of damage, obviously.

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-Did you ever make use of it or put anything in it?

-No.

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The thing is it sat in that wall unit for years without you realising what you've got.

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While I was in Scotland,

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I got to hear how Tom and Evelyn think the cup came to be sitting in that cabinet for so many years.

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Their grandfather, John, grew up in Scotland

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and inherited a knowledge of antiques from his father.

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The cup may have been found by either of them.

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However, the story told to Tom is a global one.

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John was a painter and decorator,

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and along with his father, bought tickets from Glasgow to New York

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in 1906 to try their luck in the Big Apple.

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After working there, John decided to move to San Francisco

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in the wake of the famous earthquake.

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From the west coast of America, John travelled to Cape Town in South Africa in search of work,

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most likely during a period of racial segregation before apartheid became law.

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The story goes that John shared his food with a black African man who sat behind his bench,

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a gesture that would have been frowned upon.

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It seems that John was rewarded for his humanity with gifts

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and Tom thinks the libation cup was amongst them.

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No matter how it came to previous generations of their family,

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it's clear that Tom and Evelyn are proud of their inheritance.

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Some people have the family silver. You've got a libation cup!

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Yes.

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Have you been to an auction before?

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I've only been to one, in Perth.

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Did you get the buzz?

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It's exciting watching it on TV,

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but when you actually go to it in the flesh, and see it, it's more exciting.

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-I think I could get addicted to going!

-I think so. Well, I'm addicted to it, the atmosphere.

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Thing is, we've seen this in the past on this show.

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It depends on the bidders and what they think.

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But it's safe to say eight to £12,000, which is a staggering amount of money.

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What will that sort of money mean to you?

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A nice holiday some place.

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I'll maybe buy a laptop.

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Then you can get on the internet and do some more research about antiques.

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There'd be no stopping me!

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I'm so excited for you, but at the same time I'm so nervous. I am so nervous.

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I think somebody will buy it.

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But who? And just how much will they pay?

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Tom and Evelyn aren't the only ones to find that something they haven't paid much attention to

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is worth a lot of money. We've had quite a few on Flog It!

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Some of the trickiest items to value have been from overseas.

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It's really interesting.

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There's a lot of lots in this next lot!

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Sue's Cantonese porcelain. There's loads of it.

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We've got tureens, vases, plates.

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We're looking for 200 to £300, as Mark put on it on valuation day.

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-Happy with that?

-Yes.

-I think the buyers are here to spend money so I hope we'll eclipse that.

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It quickly did that, heading over the top end of the estimate.

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500?

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520.

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540.

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-It's not going to stop!

-560.

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1,000. And 50.

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-Do you need a seat?

-Against you in the room.

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1,250 at the back. 1,300.

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(1,300!)

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1,500.

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And 50.

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Against you all at £1,500. Selling.

0:20:170:20:21

Yes! On the phone, £1,500!

0:20:210:20:25

-That's great.

-I don't believe it!

-That is just great!

0:20:260:20:29

'Joy brought along a needlework box

0:20:290:20:32

'which was Anglo-Indian. She'd bought it in a car boot sale years before.'

0:20:320:20:37

How much did you pay for this?

0:20:380:20:41

-Four pounds.

-Four pounds.

0:20:410:20:42

Well, shall we add a 0?

0:20:420:20:45

And then add another 0.

0:20:450:20:47

-It's £400.

-No!

-Base level.

0:20:490:20:52

When it came to the auction, there was an even bigger shock in store!

0:20:530:20:57

-£800. £800. 850.

-They're keen. They love it!

0:20:570:21:03

1,000. 1,100.

0:21:030:21:05

1,200.

0:21:050:21:06

-Yes or no? At 1,200.

-It's getting exciting. It's getting hot!

0:21:060:21:12

-Still five people bidding. 1,600.

-1,600.

-Give me 17 for it.

0:21:120:21:15

2,000. 2,100. 2,200.

0:21:160:21:19

It's against you.

0:21:190:21:22

No? All done at £2,200, then.

0:21:220:21:24

Finished? You've got it.

0:21:240:21:26

-Well done!

-Thank you, Paul!

-They gave you a round of applause!

0:21:260:21:30

£2,200!

0:21:300:21:33

I just don't believe it!

0:21:330:21:36

And more recently, Shirley's scarab pendant which she bought for 40p!

0:21:360:21:41

That one really surprised us all in Oxford.

0:21:410:21:44

The Victorian pendant,

0:21:450:21:47

decorated two rearing cobra

0:21:470:21:49

flanking a scarab.

0:21:490:21:51

-560 I've got.

-No!

0:21:510:21:54

-600. 610.

-I can't believe it!

-It's so beautiful.

0:21:540:21:57

1,000.

0:21:570:21:59

1,100. And 50.

0:22:010:22:04

Shirley, what is going on?

0:22:040:22:06

1,600. 1,700.

0:22:060:22:08

1,800.

0:22:080:22:10

At £1,800. On the telephone at £1,800. All done at 1,800?

0:22:100:22:14

Wow!

0:22:140:22:16

That's the sold sound. Well done, Shirley!

0:22:160:22:19

I can't believe it!

0:22:190:22:22

£1,800. And how much did it cost again?

0:22:220:22:24

-40 pence.

-40p! What can you buy for 40p?

0:22:240:22:27

My estimate was a bit out, but I don't care!

0:22:270:22:30

What a great result! Have you got anything like that at home?

0:22:310:22:35

Think about Flog It if you're clearing out your attics and cupboards of unwanted antiques.

0:22:350:22:40

We'd love to see them. Bring them to one of our valuation days. Dates and venues are on our website.

0:22:400:22:46

All the information will be there. We'd love to see you!

0:22:500:22:53

I've touched on the fact that our libation cup is made of rhino horn.

0:22:570:23:02

Now, as an animal lover myself, I bet some of you at home are feeling awkward

0:23:020:23:06

about the fact that such a beautiful antique was made from part of an animal.

0:23:060:23:10

At the time it was made, animal conservation was not a priority.

0:23:110:23:15

Things have changed in recent years

0:23:150:23:17

as poaching and hunting threaten endangered animals.

0:23:170:23:21

That's why strict measures are now in place for the use of animal-based products.

0:23:210:23:25

I think it's worth finding out what these rules are.

0:23:250:23:28

I'm at the Animal Health Offices,

0:23:300:23:32

which is part of Defra, the government department for the environment, food and rural affairs.

0:23:320:23:38

They set the controls in dealing with items made from or with materials from endangered species,

0:23:380:23:43

which affects us when it comes to the antiques trade.

0:23:430:23:46

John, you're head of Animal Health, Bristol. What measures are in place?

0:23:510:23:55

The UK is a signatory to CITES,

0:23:550:23:59

and is one of 176 countries around the world.

0:23:590:24:02

The whole purpose of CITES is to ensure that international trade

0:24:020:24:07

does not further endanger wild populations

0:24:070:24:10

of already endangered species.

0:24:100:24:13

'By the way, CITES stands for the Convention on International Trade

0:24:130:24:18

'in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora.

0:24:180:24:22

'It's been running since 1975.

0:24:220:24:24

'One important rule for legally selling items made from endangered species here in the EU

0:24:240:24:30

'is that they must have been made before 1947.'

0:24:300:24:35

We see a lot of items turning up in our valuation days made of animal products.

0:24:350:24:39

But, thank goodness, they're antiques with provenance, pre-1947.

0:24:390:24:44

Let's just go through that particular law, shall we?

0:24:440:24:48

Yes, certainly. That's the absolute key, that the item has to be pre-1947.

0:24:480:24:53

But it also has to be significantly changed from its original state.

0:24:530:24:58

-To a work of art.

-Absolutely, yes.

0:24:580:25:01

So if we take a tea caddy, for example, with tortoiseshell lining,

0:25:010:25:05

obviously that's changed from its state.

0:25:050:25:08

But if we take ivory, and here's a good example in front of us,

0:25:080:25:12

-where we have here...

-An elephant tusk.

-Yes, which was recovered from the sea.

0:25:120:25:17

-Really?

-Yes. That was recovered from The Benine which sank in Liverpool Bay in the 1870s.

0:25:170:25:24

This is unworked and it would be illegal to sell this in the European Union.

0:25:240:25:28

Whereas this horn, for example, where you can probably see it's carved...

0:25:280:25:32

-About the same age.

-Yes.

-But it's been worked.

-Absolutely.

0:25:320:25:37

So that could be sold within the European Union legally.

0:25:370:25:40

Our item is a libation cup made of rhinoceros horn.

0:25:400:25:43

It's changing, the laws on rhino horn is changing rapidly.

0:25:430:25:48

One's just been introduced, we can't export overseas any more.

0:25:480:25:52

-Correct.

-Unless it's works of art.

-That's absolutely correct.

0:25:520:25:55

The minister has expressed his concerns

0:25:550:25:58

about the serious state with an increase in rhino poaching

0:25:580:26:03

-fuelled by the belief in some countries that...

-It's a medicine for ingestion.

-Absolutely.

0:26:030:26:09

-It can be ground down.

-Yes, and that's creating a market in its own right.

0:26:090:26:14

As a result of which, we here in Animal Health have imposed a stricter measure

0:26:140:26:20

and every dealer, every person who is intending to sell something

0:26:200:26:24

has to come along with that individual item, a description,

0:26:240:26:28

probably a digital photograph as well,

0:26:280:26:30

and get permission in order to be able to sell it.

0:26:300:26:33

But I think where you have something of genuine artistic merit

0:26:330:26:37

and cultural background,

0:26:370:26:39

there shouldn't be a problem.

0:26:390:26:41

If you have an antique at home and you're unsure is it old or not, is it legal to sell,

0:26:410:26:46

take it to a specialist dealer, an auction room or somebody here at Animal Health.

0:26:460:26:50

-That's right.

-Somebody can help.

-Always get advice, is the message.

0:26:500:26:54

We've seen lots of interesting items on the show made of things like ivory and tortoiseshell

0:26:540:27:00

which were perfectly legal to own and sell.

0:27:000:27:02

I think we should treasure beautiful antiques and make sure they're kept safe

0:27:020:27:06

for future generations. However, with the knowledge we have now about endangered animals,

0:27:060:27:12

we should support the measures and laws in place that protect them.

0:27:120:27:16

Check the provenance before you buy.

0:27:160:27:18

Make sure objects are as old as it's claimed.

0:27:180:27:21

And that they can be legally sold.

0:27:210:27:24

It's the day of the auction and I have my fingers crossed for the sale of the libation cup.

0:27:350:27:40

Thinking about it, why has Asian art, and more specifically Chinese art,

0:27:420:27:46

become so popular in the last ten years?

0:27:460:27:48

And what are the key things to invest in?

0:27:480:27:50

The capital is a magnet for Asian art buyers

0:27:530:27:55

because of Britain's long history of Chinese porcelain collecting and our trade links with Asia.

0:27:550:28:01

Why is Chinese art booming right now?

0:28:010:28:04

Alistair Gibson is a dealer who specialises in Chinese works of art.

0:28:040:28:08

The Chinese themselves, having come out of the communist era, have money,

0:28:100:28:15

their economy is booming, there are billionaires being made on a yearly basis

0:28:150:28:19

and they can afford now to buy their history and their art back into China.

0:28:190:28:25

The Chinese love branded products

0:28:290:28:32

and this is an extension of that.

0:28:320:28:34

The Chinese antique, for them, is a brand.

0:28:340:28:37

It's an expensive object to show that you have become wealthy,

0:28:370:28:41

you've made your money and you can afford to collect a status symbol.

0:28:410:28:46

Everybody knows about the Ming dynasty vase.

0:28:460:28:50

That's primarily still one of the main collecting areas today, Chinese ceramics,

0:28:500:28:55

and especially Chinese imperial porcelain

0:28:550:28:58

made for the court, made for the emperor.

0:28:580:29:01

That has a very huge following. It's a status symbol, again,

0:29:010:29:04

like talking about the Gucci shoes or Hermes handbag, something like this.

0:29:040:29:09

A good example of Chinese imperial porcelain is this blue and white bowl here

0:29:090:29:14

which was made in the 16th century.

0:29:140:29:19

It's a classic piece of Ming blue and white.

0:29:190:29:23

As you can see, it has the imperial symbol, the dragon,

0:29:230:29:26

with his five claws being displayed.

0:29:260:29:29

I was at Sotheby's this morning and there was a very similar bowl in the Sotheby's sale today

0:29:290:29:34

which made £50,000.

0:29:340:29:38

What advice has Alistair got for collectors with more modest bank balances

0:29:420:29:46

who fancy owning some Chinese porcelain?

0:29:460:29:49

Try and buy the best you can possibly afford

0:29:500:29:53

and an object without any damage if you can afford to do so.

0:29:530:29:58

That would be my number one tip.

0:29:580:30:00

If you still love the object and you don't have bottomless pockets,

0:30:000:30:05

then buy something chipped and cracked and really enjoy it.

0:30:050:30:08

The moment we've all been waiting for is fast approaching

0:30:180:30:22

when we find out what the bidders think our libation cup is worth.

0:30:220:30:26

But first, let's hear more about its prospects.

0:30:260:30:29

Chinese art specialist Angela McAteer

0:30:290:30:32

has been looking after our cup ever since the valuation day

0:30:320:30:35

and with her expertise, she'll have some insider knowledge.

0:30:350:30:39

It dates to the 17th/18th century, most probably to the period of Kangxi Emperor

0:30:390:30:45

who was the first great emperor of the Qing Dynasty.

0:30:450:30:48

His reign spanned both centuries.

0:30:480:30:50

He reigned from 1662 to 1722.

0:30:500:30:54

You have on either side

0:30:550:30:57

taotie masks and you've got chilong dragons carved in high relief

0:30:570:31:03

which are typified by their split tails

0:31:030:31:06

and their single horns.

0:31:060:31:08

And their heads poke up over the rim.

0:31:080:31:13

'Remember the damage when we first saw the libation cup?

0:31:130:31:18

'Well, the auction house recommended restoration to Tom and he agreed.'

0:31:180:31:22

We've used a person who is really the top restorer in the country for any organic Chinese ware.

0:31:220:31:28

He's used conservation grade epoxy resin

0:31:280:31:31

and if you looked at it and didn't know it was restored, it would be very difficult to tell.

0:31:310:31:36

'But why does Angela think restoration was the best bet and would it put some bidders off?'

0:31:360:31:40

Well, in offering something like this at auction,

0:31:400:31:44

you really want it to appeal not only to trade buyers

0:31:440:31:48

but to private buyers.

0:31:480:31:50

In recent years we have seen a large number, or a surge in the numbers,

0:31:500:31:53

of private collectors, a lot of whom are buying to put on display

0:31:530:31:58

and want it to look aesthetically very pleasing.

0:31:580:32:01

And virtually all the restoration that's done now can be undone

0:32:010:32:05

should you so wish.

0:32:050:32:07

The really positive thing

0:32:070:32:08

is that the horn hasn't dried out over the years.

0:32:080:32:11

What we often see in Western collections that have rhinoceros horns

0:32:110:32:15

is that they've been put in direct sunlight or near a radiator

0:32:150:32:20

and it really sucks the life out of them and they lose their colour

0:32:200:32:25

and their appeal.

0:32:250:32:27

This has a wonderful lustre and a wonderful texture.

0:32:270:32:30

So it's obviously been kept in a fairly humid environment

0:32:300:32:34

which, over the years, has retained its nice qualities.

0:32:340:32:37

'It sounds like sitting in a cabinet in Scotland for years has been in its favour.

0:32:370:32:42

'But will this specialist work to repair it be worth it?'

0:32:420:32:46

The restoration costs were around £600.

0:32:460:32:49

That amount is deducted from the final proceeds of the sale.

0:32:490:32:54

Really, it may sound like a lot of money,

0:32:540:32:58

but when you think of the difference that it will make in the final hammer price on the day

0:32:580:33:03

I think it's a very sensible investment.

0:33:030:33:06

'So, does Angela have the answer to that all-important question - what's it worth?'

0:33:060:33:11

Whilst it looks like a rhinoceros horn in wonderful condition now,

0:33:110:33:15

we have to remember that there are chips to it and it has sustained some damage.

0:33:150:33:20

So I was quite happy to stick to the eight to £12,000 estimate.

0:33:200:33:26

I am, however, confident that on the day it will far exceed that.

0:33:260:33:30

'Well, for Tom and Evelyn's sake, I hope Angela's right. We can only wait and see.'

0:33:330:33:37

The main gallery is setting up and expectations are high

0:33:450:33:48

especially as the sale is taking place during London's Asian art week.

0:33:480:33:52

Like many of the capital's leading auction houses, they hope serious buyers are in town.

0:33:520:33:58

Some beautiful and high-end examples of Asian artefacts are being sold in the specialist fine art sales.

0:33:580:34:04

13,000, new bidder.

0:34:040:34:07

But the star lot in this sale has to be an imperial jade seal,

0:34:070:34:10

an 18th-century object that was once owned by a Chinese emperor.

0:34:100:34:14

It's small, but it's perfectly formed!

0:34:140:34:17

It's a fantastic object, first and foremost, a great piece of imperial art.

0:34:170:34:21

You actually know that the emperor had that in his hand in an area of the Forbidden City.

0:34:210:34:26

ANGELA: It's an absolute masterpiece.

0:34:260:34:30

Not only its provenance, who it belonged to, but the work of art itself

0:34:300:34:34

is truly spectacular.

0:34:340:34:36

Listen to where the bidding starts for this very special piece.

0:34:360:34:41

Somebody like to start this?

0:34:410:34:43

One million pounds for this.

0:34:450:34:48

1,100,000.

0:34:480:34:50

1,200,000.

0:34:500:34:52

1,500,000.

0:34:520:34:54

1,600,000.

0:34:550:34:57

One million, nine hundred thousand is the bid.

0:34:570:35:00

Two million?

0:35:000:35:02

Selling it. Two million pounds is down here.

0:35:060:35:09

It's down here at two million pounds.

0:35:090:35:12

Selling it for two million.

0:35:130:35:15

I'm going to sell it for that.

0:35:150:35:17

2,100,000.

0:35:170:35:19

2,200,000.

0:35:190:35:21

Two million, two hundred thousand pounds.

0:35:220:35:25

2,300,000.

0:35:260:35:29

2,400,000?

0:35:290:35:31

2,400,000.

0:35:320:35:34

Not yours.

0:35:340:35:35

Not yours. The bid's down here.

0:35:350:35:38

For two million, four hundred thousand pounds.

0:35:380:35:42

Sold!

0:35:440:35:46

It was very tense in the room.

0:35:470:35:50

There were hundreds of people in there, plenty of spectators,

0:35:500:35:54

so it was very difficult to see what was going on and who was bidding.

0:35:540:35:58

But the final price including our buyer's premium

0:35:580:36:01

was £2.7 million.

0:36:010:36:03

Which for such a small piece of jade was an absolutely phenomenal amount of money.

0:36:030:36:09

So we're absolutely delighted.

0:36:090:36:11

I bet you weren't expecting a seven-figure sum!

0:36:110:36:15

Both buyers and sellers have commission to pay.

0:36:150:36:18

The result shows how buoyant the Chinese art market really is.

0:36:180:36:23

But there's no guarantee our cup will sell.

0:36:230:36:27

I'm outside the auction room and I'm expecting Tom and Evelyn to arrive any moment now.

0:36:280:36:33

I'm feeling really nervous for them

0:36:330:36:36

but, fingers crossed, this is going to fly through the roof.

0:36:360:36:40

This looks like their cab.

0:36:400:36:42

It is. Hello!

0:36:430:36:45

Here's Evelyn here, look.

0:36:450:36:47

Hi. Hello!

0:36:470:36:48

-Great to see you again.

-Nice to see you.

0:36:480:36:51

-Are you excited?

-Yeah.

-Tom.

0:36:510:36:53

-Good journey?

-Yes.

-Good journey?

-It was, yes.

-Been looked after?

0:36:530:36:58

-Yes.

-Would you like a cup of tea?

-That would be fine.

0:36:580:37:02

-We'll find a little cafe.

-As long as you're paying!

-I'm paying, yes!

0:37:020:37:06

We are literally in the right place at the right time selling this.

0:37:100:37:13

It's Asian art week in London. All the big major auction houses have got an Asian artefacts sale.

0:37:130:37:19

So all the key buyers and all the collectors are here in London this week.

0:37:190:37:23

-Good.

-Good, isn't it?

0:37:230:37:25

-Good.

-It's going to be good for you two.

0:37:250:37:27

Secretly, what do you think it might go for?

0:37:270:37:30

After what you've said about Asian Art Week,

0:37:300:37:33

and quite a few collectors...

0:37:330:37:36

-I would probably be happy with something about ten grand.

-OK.

0:37:370:37:42

You're so laid back, aren't you? So calm about this.

0:37:420:37:46

It's like it's not happening. I don't feel excited, actually.

0:37:460:37:50

-You don't feel excited?

-I probably will when I get in there.

-I think so.

0:37:500:37:54

-And they start bidding.

-I think you will.

0:37:540:37:56

Are you going to miss this, Tom, because it was in your house

0:37:560:37:59

in your cabinet for all those years.

0:37:590:38:02

Now that it's going, well, I'll miss it.

0:38:020:38:05

I wonder what your past generations of the family would think about us

0:38:050:38:09

bringing it to London and selling it here.

0:38:090:38:12

My mother would probably be quite happy that she's left us something.

0:38:120:38:16

-You know.

-Too many of these things lie dormant in people's homes.

-That's the beauty of the show.

0:38:170:38:23

I can't wait, personally, to get inside the auction room

0:38:230:38:27

and soak up the atmosphere.

0:38:270:38:29

-Shall we drink up?

-Yes.

-Where's my wallet?

0:38:290:38:32

Where's my wallet? I think it's in the car!

0:38:320:38:34

-Oh, no!

-Where's your purse, Evelyn?

-I've not got a purse.

0:38:340:38:37

Well, I can't believe how calm they both are.

0:38:380:38:42

But I think I'm nervous enough for all of us!

0:38:420:38:45

Our lot is getting closer.

0:38:450:38:48

3,800. 4,000.

0:38:490:38:52

4,800. 5,000.

0:38:540:38:56

Doesn't it look good? There's the image in the catalogue.

0:38:580:39:01

Wonderful catalogue. Look at the quality of the printing.

0:39:010:39:05

This is your restored libation cup. The auction house obviously believed in this.

0:39:050:39:10

Something here today, a piece of jade, has gone for £2.5 million.

0:39:100:39:14

Let's hope those heavyweight buyers want to go home with your libation cup as well.

0:39:140:39:19

-Fingers crossed.

-Exactly. Gosh.

0:39:190:39:22

Crunch time.

0:39:240:39:26

Tom and Evelyn's cup is now going under the hammer.

0:39:270:39:31

Here we go!

0:39:320:39:33

Now we move on to the first of the rhino horns.

0:39:350:39:37

Lot 470.

0:39:370:39:40

Who'd like to start this?

0:39:400:39:42

-£5,000 for it? £5,000. 5,000 is offered. Thank you very much.

-We're in.

0:39:420:39:47

6,000. 500. 7,000.

0:39:470:39:51

500. 8,000.

0:39:510:39:54

500. 9,000.

0:39:540:39:56

Lady's bid now at £9,000.

0:39:560:39:59

The phones are coming in now. 9,500.

0:39:590:40:01

-10,000.

-Phones in.

0:40:010:40:03

11,000. 12,000.

0:40:030:40:05

13,000. New bidder.

0:40:060:40:08

-14,000. 15,000 on my left.

-Put a smile on your face!

0:40:080:40:12

-16,000.

-She smiled!

-17,000 on the left.

0:40:120:40:15

18,000 against you. 19,000 here.

0:40:150:40:17

At 19,000 now.

0:40:170:40:19

£19,000.

0:40:190:40:21

Against the phones. 20,000, new bidder.

0:40:210:40:24

22,000. 24,000. 26,000.

0:40:240:40:27

-26,000! I'm tingling! Are you tingling?

-Aye!

0:40:270:40:32

£26,000.

0:40:320:40:34

-Oh, come on. Take it.

-Two bids in the room.

0:40:340:40:39

-30,000 behind you.

-30!

-£30,000!

0:40:390:40:43

34,000. 36,000 over here.

0:40:430:40:47

-38,000 standing.

-Can't believe it!

-£40,000.

0:40:470:40:51

At £40,000 on the left.

0:40:510:40:53

Against the phones, against both the ladies.

0:40:530:40:56

The bid is at £40,000.

0:40:560:40:58

40 grand!

0:40:580:41:00

-42,000.

-42?

-Just in time.

0:41:000:41:03

42,000. It's the lady's bid here. Against the telephones.

0:41:030:41:07

Against you far left and against you standing.

0:41:070:41:10

-42!

-Lady's bid in the centre. £42,000.

0:41:100:41:14

I can't believe it. £42,000.

0:41:140:41:16

No? 42,000. I'm selling it.

0:41:160:41:20

Lady here in the Bonhams board room - er, sale room.

0:41:200:41:22

44,000.

0:41:220:41:25

-With the hammer.

-£44,000!

-One of my Bonhams colleagues over here.

0:41:250:41:31

At 44,000 on the telephone.

0:41:310:41:33

Selling it, then, for £44,000.

0:41:330:41:37

-Quite sure, madam?

-I can't believe somebody wants it that badly.

0:41:370:41:42

£44,000. The auctioneer is asking for 45.

0:41:420:41:46

Here's the bid on the telephone at £44,000.

0:41:460:41:51

All done? Sold!

0:41:510:41:53

-Well done!

-Thank you very much.

0:41:530:41:54

What's it worth? £44,000.

0:41:540:41:58

Congratulations, Tom. Congratulations. Do I get a kiss?

0:41:580:42:02

What a lovely kiss that was!

0:42:020:42:05

-Happy?

-Yes!

0:42:050:42:06

-A great surprise.

-Yes, it went for more than I thought it would.

0:42:060:42:11

Are you happy?

0:42:110:42:13

-Yeah, yeah. I just don't look happy, but I am.

-I know you are.

0:42:130:42:18

I didn't think it would get as much as that.

0:42:180:42:21

You said you'd be jumping up and down if it got 30-odd thousand!

0:42:210:42:24

-Yeah.

-I said, "Will you be running around if it does 40-odd thousand?"

0:42:240:42:28

-We got 44 grand!

-It went that fast. I didn't get time to run about.

0:42:280:42:32

Yes.

0:42:320:42:33

£44,000. That is what it's worth.

0:42:330:42:37

If you've got anything like that, we'd love to see it at our valuation days.

0:42:370:42:41

I hope you've enjoyed this one-off special. Evelyn and Tom have come down from Scotland

0:42:410:42:46

and it's been the journey of their lifetime. You've had bad news lately?

0:42:460:42:50

Hopefully it will get better and better.

0:42:500:42:52

OK? Bless you.

0:42:520:42:54

The libation cup achieved an absolutely fantastic price.

0:43:010:43:04

There was plenty of competition for it on the phones and in the room.

0:43:040:43:08

For a libation cup of its type and in its condition,

0:43:080:43:12

and that style of carving, it is a very, very strong price.

0:43:120:43:16

Our cup will be returning to Asia, snapped up by a Far Eastern buyer.

0:43:160:43:22

How about that? £44,000.

0:43:230:43:26

I think they're in shock!

0:43:260:43:27

What a day, what a moment.

0:43:270:43:29

This is the icing on the cake for me. Ten years of hard work on the show.

0:43:290:43:34

It just goes to show, you never know what you're going to find.

0:43:340:43:38

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0:44:010:44:04

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