Antiques Roadshow guest baffled over value of item that left expert confused

22 October 2023 , 21:30

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Antiques Roadshow guest baffled over value of item that left expert confused

An Antiques Roadshow expert couldn't put his finger on what one lucky collector brought in for valuation on Sunday night's episode.

BBC viewers watched at the weekend as film crews headed to Northern Ireland to take a look at what treasures could be unearthed this week. It was early on in the action-packed episode that one item confused a particular expert. "Well, it's interesting because actually, I don't really know," the bargain-finding hopeful was told after presenting a paddle-like object to the antiques specialist. It was revealed that the epic find originated from the Austral islands.

"The Austral islands were famous for carving these paddles," the expert explained. "It's considered they're actually ritual vessels using some sort of dance, but we don't know." The owner looked puzzled, seemingly doubting its value.

The Antiques Roadshow expert couldn't say what the device did (BBC)

"That is what I personally find really mysterious about these. But look at it, it carved all over it's got these face of the paddles got these bands of wriggle work and little sort of repeat triangular motifs. Can you imagine this sort of length of time this must have taken to do it's quite hard so it would have taken a long time."

The paddle's owner revealed the device was a family heirloom and that it was handed to her by her mother. She explained: "I moved back home from England to a new house and I had nothing for my walls. So she thought this is a good thing."

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And a "good thing" it certainly was as the expert geared up to reveal his valuation. "Well, it's a beautiful sculptural thing," he explained. "And What's unusual is the sort of head of the shaft and it I don't know if you've ever noticed, but there's two abstract carved figures.

The guest couldn't believe her luck after Sunday night's episode (BBC)

"I think it's 19th century. A lot were made in the sort of 1820s and 1840s and were pretty much trade items. The islanders would be visited by missionaries and traders and whalers, they wanted something to exchange for goods, so skip the ritual."

After explaining more history about the device, the expert revealed the valuation. Its owner couldn't quite believe it when she was told an item she believed to be worthless could actually fetch four-figures if it went under the hammer.

"We will just never know what its purpose was within that society," the expert explained. "So look, there's one little problem there's a bit of a slice out of the rim there and that will affect the value a little bit okay... It's worth 700 to 1000 pounds."

Antiques Roadshow airs on BBC Two and is available on BBC iPlayer.

Harry Rutter