4 days Ago By [email protected] (Hayley Anderson)
WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Antiques Roadshow. An Antiques Roadshow guest had to rescue an unusual dish from a skip twice because of her husband. Filming at Firstsite in Colchester, the BBC daytime series saw expert Chris Yeo meet with a mother-and-daughter duo to discuss their dish, decorated with a peacock design.
Pointing out their bright outfits, Chris began: “You’ve both brought some real colour to the Roadshow today, you’ve even upstaged a peacock which takes some doing! “It’s a very nice copper plate, how did it come into your life?” The mum then explained: “This was my mother-in-law’s, she lived in Cornwall. “My husband, I don’t think cared for it very much and I found that he put this dish in the skip.” “In a skip?” Chris questioned, with the mum confirming: “In a skip.
So I put it to one side and then about half an hour later, I went back to check and the dish had gone back in again.” “Well that’s no good, is it?" Chris responded, with the guest agreeing: “No. So I took it out and said, ‘No, I don’t want it throwing away.
’” When asking the daughter what she thought about the item, she replied: “I absolutely love it. It has sat up on the dresser all of my life and I’ve just admired it up there and I’m really hoping one day mum’s going to let me have it.” Chris went on to talk about some of the item’s details, explaining: “Well let’s have a quick look at the front first, because we’ve got this rather splendid, proud peacock and then this wonderful scrollwork around the outside.
“Now we said right at the beginning that it’s made of copper but everyone knows copper is supposed to gleam and be orange but this isn’t orange. It’s more like something else, what’s going on, it’s really dull.” The mum explained: “I wasn’t sure if it was meant to be like this or not so I’m afraid I took the easy way out and didn’t clean it.
” Thankfully, this was the right call, according to Chris, who said: “Well I’m very glad you decided not to, because this is how it’s meant to look. “Because what the original intention was, was that this should emulate bronze so it’s absolutely right, it’s in its original condition.” On the back of the dish was the name John Pearson and the date 1891 which was the “start of the arts and crafts movement”.
Chris continued: “He was an interesting character. He started off working in London at the Guild of Handicraft which is one of the early organisations involved in the arts and crafts ethos. “But he got the sack because he was moonlighting, doing his own thing, and that was strictly against the rules and he was sent away.
“And when he went to Cornwall to the industrial school where he was master metalworker there.” Summarising, the expert said: “Well I’ve got to say I’m very pleased that you rescued it from a skip not once but twice, because I think in the right sale, I can see this doing rather well. And I think at auction, I think it’s £600 to £800.
” The guests didn’t seem to know how to react, with the mum simply stating: “Wow. Excellent.” “So you can go home and crow to your husband now and say, ‘See? I was right,'” Chris laughed.
The guest commented: “It’s very beautiful." Chris than added: “It’s lovely. Thank you very much for bringing it in.
” Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer..
