An Antiques Roadshow couldn’t believe it when her mother-in-law’s wedding present was given an unexpected price tag.
With expert Will Farmer leading the assessment, he couldn’t hide his excitement: “Well, when coming up to Glasgow, I had a little tick list of things I’d hoped to see.
“And one, of course, is that wonderful essence, that vibrancy, that joy that is work from the Glasgow School and boy, have you delivered. So, thank you. But tell me, what do you know of this glorious mirror?”
The owner of a Marion Wilson brass mirror, with ties to the city itself, replied by sharing its sentimental journey: “The mirror was originally my mother-in-law’s. From there, it’s come along with me, because I feel I’m a custodian of the mirror.
“More recently, I’ve come to live near my daughter and she was going to hang it up in the hall. And she looked at the back and she said ‘Mum, have you ever read the notice? ‘ And I said ‘No, no.'”.
Unable to contain his enthusiasm, Farmer exclaimed: “Well I feel we ought to read out what it says. We’re all waiting with baited breath!”
Reading aloud the note on the other side, he continued: “‘Designed and worked by Marion Wilson. For Charlotte Stewart who gifted it to Margaret Lawson on her wedding day.’
“And actually, it’s dated 1929, which really is quite late for this movement and this style.”
Antiques Roadshow guest’s jaw drops at extortionate price for treasured family heirloom (Image: BBC)
Antiques Roadshow expert Will Farmer was ‘thrilled’ to be presented with a Marion Wilson mirror worth £5,000. (Image: BBC)
The woman revealed a fascinating family connection to the antique mirror, confirming that her mother-in-law was the bride and it was Aunt Charlotte who commissioned the piece from Marion Wilson.
“Wow. So we have a direct link. Now, if you look at it, I mean apart from just the sheer joy of it, the style of it, the essence – just everything that it evokes,” Farmer commented.
“Now, we’ve got to look at Glasgow at this time and it was a city that was absolutely in full force. People all over the world looked to Glasgow as arbiters of style and taste.
“And this is a hammered-brass mirror, repousse work, with these wonderful almost Tree of Lifes leading up to these Scottish or Mackintosh or Glasgow roses.
“But there’s something more to yours which is this, this circle that runs through to unite them.
“And my reading of it and it is merely conjecture, is, I think this is an addition, and I think this is uniting the two Trees of Life to symbolise the marriage.”
The pensioner humbly referred to herself as a “custodian” of the mirror, prompting Farmer to ask if her daughter would be the next in line.
The daughter responded with a laugh: “Well interesting you say that. I would love to think I might get the mirror passed down to me.”
She added with a hint of sibling rivalry: “But I know my brother in America, I think he’s secretly got a red dot on it so..”
“Do you know what? I could argue, should it ever leave Scottish turf?” the expert stated, to which the daughter grinned in agreement.
An Antiques Roadshow guest brought in a Marion Wilson mirror which had belonged to her mother-in-law. (Image: BBC)
Summing up, he declared: “This has, obviously, huge family significance to you, but there still comes a value.
“So I think it’s worthwhile that you should know and this is a market that is ever growing.
“And I think this wonderful mirror with its history, with its connection with you and the family and the whole story therein, in the current market, we’re looking in the region of £3,000 to £5,000.”
The guest stared open-mouthed while her daughter reacted with surprise at the hefty valuation. I
Incredulous, the owner asked: “Really? I would never have guessed that.”
Farmer added: “It ticks every single box that you would want to see.
“You only have to look at this and know where it was from and the time it was made. So thank you so much for sharing it with us.”
Later, during a separate interview, the daughter shared: “I think it’s been absolutely amazing to be here, because it’s so important to mum.
“And in terms of the value, it’s just a lot more than we actually thought. I’m not sure it’s something that we’ll be rushing to sell.”
It was Farmer who concluded with final thoughts on the find: “You always hope when you come to a city that’s so driven by such amazing style, that something will come out. And boy, it did. I’m really, really thrilled.”
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on One and iPlayer.