An Antiques Roadshow guest was left holding back tears when he heard about the ‘shocking’ value of a vase he received from his late boss.
Lee Young, the show’s resident expert, was surprised to see an object brought in by a man from Dundee.
He told viewers in Sunday’s episode that the vase may have come to the UK from Japan more than a century ago.
The guest told the RRS Discovery expert in Dundee that he had been given the ship as a gift by someone very close to him.
He said, ‘I inherited it from someone very dear to me who passed away about 10 years ago. By great luck, the deceased owner passed it on.
An Antiques Roadshow guest was left holding back tears when he discovered the ‘shocking’ value of a vase given to him by his late boss after years of admiration
The show’s resident expert Lee Young was surprised when a man from Dundee brought in an object and revealed it had likely travelled to the UK from Japan
The guest told the Dundee expert on the RRS Discovery in Sunday’s episode that he had inherited it from someone very dear to him and that he was emotional remembering his owner
“It means a lot to me. He was determined that I get it.”
He said he had admired the vase for years, even when the previous owner was still alive, and explained that he first saw the vase when he was still working for his boss.
The guest told Lee: ‘When I worked for him, I always admired it and he asked, “Well, what do you want when I die? Do you want the mirror in the hall or the vase?”
“I said, ‘I just don’t want you to die, I’m not going to tell you.’”
He then explained that before he became ill, his boss had promised that the vase would be passed on to him.
And Lee was clearly impressed. He said to the guest who was crying, ‘Well, it’s a very nice gift in sad circumstances, but it’s a very nice gift.’
He then went on to tell us about the history behind the beautiful vase.
He said, ‘This is a kind of pottery called Satsuma pottery, from Japan.’
After hearing the heartbreaking story behind the stunning object, the BBC’s appraiser said: “Well, it’s a very, very nice gift in sad circumstances, but it’s a very nice gift.”
Lee told the tearful guest that the vase was known as Satsuma pottery and was first introduced to the West in Paris in the year 1867, where people were “crazy” about it
The BBC star looked at the vase and explained the significance of the figures it contained, noting its size, before revealing that the vase could be worth up to £5,000, according to the shocked guest.
Lee pointed to the base of the vase, emphasizing its authenticity and the maker’s mark, which indicated it was made by Ryozan and Kyotio.
Lee provided further context by saying that Satsuma pottery was first introduced to the West in Paris in 1867.
He said: ‘We went absolutely wild, to say the least! They were decorated with this beautiful rich gilding and just very lavish, rich decoration. And what we see here, a popular subject, was actually processions and we see a procession here.’
While looking at the vase, the BBC star explained the importance of the figures that covered the vase, both on horseback and in carriages.
But what shocked Lee most was the size of the vase.
He said, ‘What I like about it is the scale. I mean, it’s just enormous. I mean, for a Satsuma vase of this type. I mean, often the ones we see are very small, very fine.’
He then suggested that the vase may be over 100 years old, dating from the late 19th century.
Lee pointed to the base of the vase, emphasizing its authenticity. The maker’s mark also indicated that the vase was made by Ryozan and Kyotio.
Speaking about the value, the antiques expert said: ‘It’s such an impressive thing. It’s such an impressive size. I think if that came on the market today it would easily fetch £3,000 to £5,000.’
The guest was visibly shocked by the appreciation and became emotional.
An Antiques Roadshow guest was left completely stunned when he discovered the staggering value of his £45 watch in last week’s episode
His ‘extremely rare’ watch left the BBC audience staring in awe at their prized possession after learning of its value
Holding back tears, he said, “It’s very special. That’s very – I get emotional because it reminds me of the man [who gave it to him].
“For me, that’s the most important thing. But it’s a huge amount, it’s quite astonishing. Shocking, actually. It’s quite shocking.”
This wasn’t the only exciting discovery. In last week’s episode, one guest was left completely stunned to discover that his £45 watch was now worth more than his pension.
The guest’s ‘extremely rare’ watch left the BBC audience in awe of his prized possession after hearing its value.
The guest said he received the watch as a gift for his 21st birthday, shortly after joining the Merchant Navy.
The watch, of which only a few hundred were made, is now worth a staggering £40,000 and the guest told appraiser Richard it was worth more than his pension.