Guests watch the antique Roadshow unfold as experts reveal the truth behind ‘smuggled’ heirlooms
Roadshow expert Ian Pickford left a guest gasping after revealing the truth behind her “contraband” heirloom.
Antique dealer Ian has noticed his own rates of one-of-a-kind pieces – and a piece of Chinese silver is sure to be high on his list.
A guest on Antiques Roadshow revealed that her silver dish was smuggled out of China[/caption]
Antique silver dealer Ian Pickford has placed a sizable value on the heirloom[/caption]
The owner of the silver plate explained how her ancestors “smuggled” it out of China on Antiques Roadshow.
To a non-expert, the dish may look like any other serving plate – but is actually worth more than four figures.
At first sight, Ian was quick to say: “It’s amazing what you can tell about families from the silver they produce.
“My immediate inference to this dish is that someone in your family has been out in the far east.”
The owner told the homeowner and nearby antique lovers the story of her grandfather, who lived in China.
Surely this would have happened around 1900 during the Boxer’s Rebellion, he was able to give context to her grandfather’s struggles.
The pair burst into laughter at the thought of the places where they could have smuggled such a large item at the time.
Described as a ‘wonderful dish’, she is known in China that silver is highly collectible in modern times and will cost between £1,000 and £1,500.
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The heiress seems to like what she hears and can be seen nodding very positively to this estimate.
Ian summed up the piece by saying it was “interesting”, which left the guest with nothing to say but “excellent.
Antique Roadshow episodes are available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
The heir seems to like what she heard about the four-figure estimate[/caption]
https://www.thesun.ie/tv/8224502/antiques-roadshow-chinese-silver-dish/ Guests watch the antique Roadshow unfold as experts reveal the truth behind ‘smuggled’ heirlooms