Antiques Roadshow provided an unexpected moment for two guests, revealing that their family heirloom was actually worth a tidy sum.
In a memorable episode filmed at Colchester’s Firstsite, the programme featured expert Serhat Ahmet as he met with a couple brandishing a curious bust of a man adorned in a headdress.
Ahmet quipped: “I don’t know about you but I feel the rest of the body is slowly going to rise out of this chest,” prompting laughter from the guests.
The owner chimed in with a playful note on the bust’s lively character: “His eyes do sort of follow you around the room”, leading Ahmet to concur: “They do, they’ve got a very intentional stare about them.”
Ahmet then began to delve into its history, noting it was crafted by Doulton “master artist” George Tinworth and bore signatures not only from him but also from the renowned Henry Doulton.
Antiques Roadshow guests admit creepy head worth thousands was used to scare people (Image: BBC)
Antiques Roadshow expert Serhat Ahmet was on hand to appraise a ‘rare’ Doulton bust. (Image: BBC)
This masterpiece dated back to Tinworth’s early career in the late 1870s and early 1880s.
Talking about how the bust came to be in their possession, the man explained: “Well we’ve had him about 15 years but before that, it was my great-grandfather, in about 1910, he bought a house off the Doulton family in London and he came with it as well.
“He’s had a fairly exciting life so at one stage he was cemented to my grandfather’s garage for 20 years outside.
“My grandfather also had him lurking in the outside toilet to scare people and then he was in the garden and for the last 15 years he’s been inside with us and come Christmas, he has his tinsel around him so he’s a very loved bit of the family.”
Expert Ahmet noted: “And do I detect a bit of paintwork at some point?”
The guest replied: “Yes, my nan decided she wanted to brighten him up so she painted him white.”
The expert then continued: “Well, despite all that, he is a wonderful looking chap.
“Tinworth was very prolific, using his artistry in pottery to decorate buildings.”
“If you go to Doulton House today in Lambeth, you will still see his panels all around the building and he really loved making sculptural pieces that would be used outdoors. And that was the point.”
An Antiques Roadshow couple exclaimed ‘wow’ as their bust was valued at more than £2,000. (Image: BBC)
He highlighted the rarity of the piece: “He was always made to be outdoors. Now these are rare. It would probably take you several years to track one down and that’s mainly because they are cemented in place at grand houses who may not even know it’s a Doulton bust.”
Ahmet expressed his delight with the piece’s history, saying: “I think it’s just such a wonderful story, we’ve got this perfect line of provenance from your family to today. Do you both love it?”
The pair confirmed their affection for the piece, and when asked about their family’s opinion, the guest chuckled: “Most of them. Some describe it as a creepy head.”
Ahmet responded: “Creepy head. I get that.”
He concluded: “Now value – it cost you nothing, I guess that’s not the point.
“If you wanted to find another one of these today, if you could find one, it’s probably going to cost you in excess of £2,000.”
Stunned by the valuation, the guests were left speechless, managing only a surprised “wow”.
Ahmet then humorously cautioned them: “No more painting though and maybe not on a garage roof anymore.”
“Keep it safe, enjoy it indoors”, he advised, with the guests expressing their gratitude for his expert appraisal.
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on One and iPlayer.