BBC Antiques Roadshow expert is shocked by guest’s historical artefact before telling them they ‘won’t be pleased’ by what he has to say
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A BBC Antiques Roadshow expert was left stunned by a guest’s historic artefact and even told him they ‘wouldn’t be happy’ with anything he had to say about it.
During the episode, which aired on Sunday, members of the public gathered at Forty Hall, just north of London, to show off their prized possessions.
But one guest embarrassed appraiser Ronnie Archer-Morgan when he brought along his heirloom.
The intricately carved wooden stick had been in the guest’s family for as long as he could remember, but he had no idea what it was.
The only thing he could tell Ronnie was that it came from India and had been in his family for years.
A BBC Antiques Roadshow expert was left stunned by a guest’s historic artefact and even told them they ‘wouldn’t be happy’ with what he had to say on Sunday’s episode
Expert appraiser Ronnie Archer-Morgan was puzzled when he saw the intricately carved wooden stick that the guest declared had belonged to his mother
The stick had been in the guest’s family for as long as he could remember, but he had no idea what it was. All he could tell Ronnie was that it came from India.
He said, ‘It’s been in my family for as long as I know. My mother was born in India and she got married in India.
‘It’s been in the family all this time. My mother once wanted to explain to me what it was for, there are metal holes in it as you can see at the top.’
The guest then explained that his mother put sticks in it and “if you held it in the sun, the stick would create a shadow.”
As he examined the object, Ronnie asked, “Like a sundial?”
The guest replied, “Yes, but you can’t really move sundials. Anyway, I never quite understood how it worked.”
The description confused expert Ronnie, but did not deter him.
He said, ‘You might be happy to know that I love it. But you might not be happy to know why. I love it because I don’t know what it is!’
As he examined the length of the stick, Ronnie explained, “There’s clearly Indian writing here and here.” He was impressed with the craftsmanship, adding that there were numbers on all eight sides and that the stick showed no wear or cracks whatsoever.
Ronnie explained that the stick was covered in neat Indian writing and showed no wear or tear. He ruled out a walking stick, but was still confused about its purpose
Despite the mystery, the expert said he would happily pay £200 to get to the bottom of the matter, adding that it would be a “cheap lesson” and that he would be happy if it were solved.
The couple were surprised by the appraisal and joined Ronnie to ask viewers to explain what the mysterious heirloom was for and what it had been used for.
Ronnie said that even though he didn’t know what the stick was, he would gladly pay to get to the bottom of it.
He said, ‘I’d happily pay 200 for it. Probably not more. But I’d pay 200 to have it and find out – what a cheap lesson that would be!’
Despite his appreciation, the expert did not understand what its purpose was. He could only indicate what it was not and concluded that it could not have been used as a walking stick.
He continued: ‘It’s certainly old, 100 to 120 or 130 years old, late 19th to 20th century.’
Despite the mystery, Ronnie was fascinated by the object and called on viewers to help solve the case.
Ronnie said: ‘I appeal to people who watch the programme, that someone tell us. And it would have a price!’.
Despite Ronnie’s confusion, the guest was very pleased with the appraisal, describing it as “beautiful” and adding that they hoped someone would be able to tell them what it had been used for.
Antique Roadshow will be broadcast on BBC One on Sunday evenings at 7pm.