Antiques Roadshow returned to BBC One tonight and presenter Fiona Bruce introduced the show from Helmingham Hall, a Tudor amor house with two working drawbridges in Suffolk.
The first valuation of the episode saw an expert take a look at a boldly designed tea pot set and it wasn’t long before the owner was lost for words when told the price it could fetch should it go to auction.
“Here we’ve got a really over-the-top tea set. Do you know where it comes from?” The expert began and the owner replied: “It belongs to my father-in-law and came down through his family.
“His grandfather, David Murdoch was born in Finland in the late 1860s, 1869 from a Jewish family.”
Confirming her thoughts, the expert discussed the design and said: “You’re absolutely right, this is a Russian tea set made in silver with silver-gilt borders. And covered – literally covered – in amazing enamel.”
“If we pick up one piece we can see it’s got a maker’s mark here which is in Cyrillic,” he continued as the camera panned in closer so viewers could see the pattern.
He then went onto discuss the trademark on the items: “It actually reads to us “MC” but that’s the mark for Maria Seminova one of the best makers and enamelers of the later 19th century, very early 20th century. And this set dates from that period.
“It’s typical of that style of work but this is just extraordinary, the amount of work that’s gone into this.
“What I particularly like is this combination of monochrome enamel we’ve got the solid green here, then we have the much more subtle shaded enamel and that’s what gives the whole thing a really beautiful, much more exciting subtle look.”
Read More: Antiques Roadshow expert reveals shock valuation of diamond ring stuck down drain
The expert then explained what items were within the set and commented on the tray that matched.
“And I’m astonished that there is no particular damage to the tray and this goes back to my earlier comment that these things were so delicate they were probably never used,’ he said.
After the owner clarified the set wasn’t bought in the 1970’s, the expert explained why he had asked this: “There were some tremendously good fakes made in the 1970s. So I’m assuming it’s absolutely genuine, 100 percent genuine.”
But it then came down to the nitty gritty, how much the item was worth. “How about £20,000?”
The guest was astounded by the price the expert just revealed: “Oh my goodness.
It’s just extraordinary, the amount of work that’s gone into this.
The expert.
“Really? Wow! Gosh. Goodness, thank you very much!” She exclaimed.
Those watching at home had mixed feelings towards to cost and design of the tea set.
One said: “#AntiquesRoadshow what a horrid looking tea set!”
“A really over the top tea set #AntiquesRoadshow,” another added.
A third write on Twitter: “I think I’ve now see what a migraine would look like if it were a tea set. #AntiquesRoadshow.”
Antiques Roadshow airs every Sunday at 8pm on BBC One.
Source: Read Full Article