Viewers of Antiques Roadshow were stunned on Sunday when the owners of an “ugly toad ornament” were told the true value of their family heirloom.
Presenter Fiona Bruce and the show’s antiques experts traveled to Brodie Castle in Morayshire, Scotland to film the latest episode of the BBC show.
And fans were shocked when expert Lee Young revealed how much the bizarre yellow three-legged toad was worth.
The ornament had been in the owner’s family for 60 years, but the guest admitted he and his wife were divided over the unusual piece.
The owner, who received the item as a birthday present from his mother, said: ‘It has been known to me as ‘ugly toad’ for about 60 years. My mother collected special things.’
Shocked: Viewers of Antiques Roadshow were stunned on Sunday when the owners of an ‘ugly toad ornament’ were told the true value of their family heirloom
He jokingly added, “I love him, but not so much my wife.”
The expert dated the ornament as an 18th-century Scottish pottery piece by Dunmore and described it as a “monochrome glaze masterpiece.”
He further revealed that the ornament was based on a mythical three-legged Chinese toad, which brings good luck or wealth to its owners.
Lee said, “I love that it’s in this almost imperial yellow, rich, thick frosting. The reason I say Imperial Yellow is because it’s actually based on a Chinese mythical toad.
“The myth is that the three-legged toad shows up at your home on a full moon to portend some event, usually of good luck or wealth. So in China he is actually depicted with coins in his mouth.’
He added: ‘I think he’s so great and for all the things we’ve just discussed about him I think he could easily fetch an auction estimate of £600-£900, and if two people got excited about him, maybe a little more.’
The Scottish man was shocked and gasped as he said, ‘Oh wow. I am very happy with that.’
Lee added, “And I suspect that if two people got excited about him, he could make even a little more.”
Lee turned to the man’s wife, then asked, “Do you like him a little more now?” to which she nodded and laughed, “Yes.”
Viewers seemed unenthusiastic about the ornament, with one penning on Twitter reading, “To each his own.”
Another wrote: ‘My first reaction upon seeing the frog is, ‘What the hell is that?’ But honestly it would be something I would have in the house’
Value: Fans were shocked when expert Lee Young revealed how much a yellow three-legged toad was worth an auction estimate of £600-£900
Viewers seemed unenthusiastic about the ornament, with one penning on Twitter: ‘To each his own’
It comes after a guest was amazed at the value of her beloved diamond brooch she brought to the BBC show.
Expert Susan Rumfitt was delighted to take a look at the “unusual” and “stunning” diamond brooch, which the expert revealed was from the Art Deco period of the 1930s.
She said, ‘This is a beautiful brooch. I hope you wear it every day,” to which the owner confirmed she wore it at night when she was “going out.”
Explaining how she first came across the item, the guest explained, “It’s just because of my grandmother’s family,”
Susan went on to explain, “The brooch dates back to the 1930s, the height of the Art Deco period, which was really about having a blast in fashion jewelry and partying.
“So I imagine your grandmother would have a lot of fun putting on this brooch. It kind of has a sense of theater, doesn’t it? It sort of plays itself out, with those beautiful diamonds in it and everything.’
Susan added: ‘When we get to the 1930s, the style of jewelry, it was very similar to the 1920s in terms of being bold and impressive, as we see here, but we’ve moved away from color and are also focusing on diamonds. and that is also very special when you consider that in 1929 we had the Wall Street Crash and the Depression.
“Well, one of the biggest designers behind the love of diamonds was, of course, Chanel, and she teamed up with DeBeers to promote the diamond industry.
And they actually said that diamonds are portable, you can show the greatest value in the smallest volumes. This is by no means a small piece of jewelry, but it’s wearable, so it’s no wonder so many people turn to diamond jewelry when Chanel’s Likes said it’s the thing to do.
“It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it? It makes a statement in white gold (and) there is yellow gold behind it. That white gold at the top again helps to really represent those diamonds. It’s absolutely amazing.’
Shocked: An Antiques Roadshow guest was amazed at the value of her beloved diamond brooch she brought to the show at Brodie Castle in Morayshire
Stunning: Expert Susan Rumfitt was thrilled to take a look at the ‘unusual’ and ‘stunning’ diamond brooch, which the expert revealed was from the Art Deco period of the 1930s
Susan then asked, “Have you ever thought about how many carats are in the weight of the diamonds?”
The guest guessed three before the expert revealed that the weight was 14 carats and its value was £20,000.
She joked, “Oh my god. That’s breathtaking. O crumbs, tears come to my eyes.’
“A very big surprise, I’m still shaking at the moment,” she later added before the expert commented, “It was amazing. Great to find it and also to make someone’s day when they have no idea it would be worth as much as it was – just beautiful, fantastic.’