An Antiques Roadshow expert couldn’t believe it when he discovered where an intriguing family heirloom had been stored for the past decade.
During the show’s visit to Belfast’s Botanical Gardens, Ronnie Archer-Morgan was presented with a stone, designed with a cross, by a guest.
His curiosity piqued as he asked: “This is an old cross. It’s very tactile and it’s clearly been greatly venerated. Where did you acquire it?”
The woman responded: “My daughter inherited her grandparents’ house. It was up in the loft.”
To his inquiry regarding their religious background, she admitted they were Catholics, and then disclosed, “And it’s been under our bed for the last 10 years.”
Before she could further her narrative, the astounded expert exclaimed: “Oh my God!”, with the guest evidently amused by his reaciton.
An Antiques Roadshow guest barely reacted when she was told that her altar stone was worth at least £500. (Image: BBC)
An Antiques Roadshow guest brought in an altar stone that was found in her daughter’s loft. (Image: BBC)
She continued: “We were watching the Antiques Roadshow one day and people were talking about the interesting things they had under the bed.
“And I said to my husband ‘We have a few things under our bed too, you know!'”
Though her knowledge of the artefact was limited to it being an altar stone, Archer-Morgan delved deeper, describing: “It looks very portable.
“You know, in the 16th Century, when Henry VIII was destroying all Catholic objects, priests were persecuted and they had their services in the dark, at night, in secret places and they would take their altars with them.”
“I actually think this is earlier than the 16th Century. I do.
“This style of cross with these extensions here are something that I’ve seen in Byzantine crosses from the 12th Century.”
The antiques expert paused for a moment as his guest remarked: “I’m amazed.”
Antiques Roadshow expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan explained the history behind an altar stone that had been kept under a bed for 10 years. (Image: BBC)
He went on to explain: “And it looks like this was an old early Christian cross, a very rudimentary cross carved into the stone and then later on in the 12th or 13th Century, did this more refined depiction of a cross.”
The valuation continued as Archer-Morgan inquired if she had “ever wondered what it was worth”, receiving a straightforward “No.” from the owner.
“And you probably don’t care, do you?” he probed further, to which she responded: “As a Catholic…as blessed things and holy things, we don’t sell them.”
Undeterred, the presenter ventured: “No but I’m going to suggest a price that someone like myself would be happy to pay if it were for sale and I think many people would be happy to pay between £500 and £1,000 for it.”
The guest remained relatively unmoved by the valuation, simply replying: “Yes”, prompting Archer-Morgan to note that it was a “lovely thing”.
She concluded the discussion by thanking him, evidently unconcerned about the financial implications of the item’s value.
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on One and iPlayer.