Antiques Roadshow guest tears up over touching plan after 6-figure Buddha price tease

AR: Expert says Baby Buddha could be worth up to £100k

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Antiques Roadshow. 

An Antiques Roadshow guest couldn’t help but get emotional after an expert teased the possibility of his Buddha statue being worth thousands.

Filming at the Eden Project, the BBC daytime series’ expert Lee Young met with an Australian who had travelled across the world especially to have his Buddha statue appraised.

“So we’re very fortunate on the Antiques Roadshow that we do get to see some wonderful items and objects,” Young began.

“But occasionally, an item, an object, comes our way that has an amazing story that makes it almost a world treasure and the story about this little Buddha and the journey that it’s made to get here today, to me, makes it an exceptional little object.”

When questioned on how the item came to be in his possession, the guest replied: “We come from a tiny fishing town in regional Western Australia so we’ve come about as far as it’s possible to come in the world to get to here today.

“We were out metal detecting, we spent about two weeks finding ring pulls and beer cans and we turned up this. We think it’s a baby Buddha but its origins, its age, we’re just not sure.”

Antiques Roadshow guest tears up over touching plan after 6-figure Buddha price tease. (Image: BBC)

An Australian Antiques Roadshow guest brought in a Ming dynasty infant Buddha. (Image: BBC)

He continued: “However, we’ve had four years to go down the rabbit borough of learning about Buddha and learning about the history that could have got it on that journey to our shores.

“In a nutshell, what we think is one of the largest treasure voyages to ever go around the world, sent out by a Chinese emperor, around about the 1420s.

“Now there’s no doubt that he came out through south east Asia but there is doubt over whether or not he arrived in Australia.

“If this is Ming dynasty, if it is Chinese, then this could be a missing link to prove an amazing story about the world’s richest treasure voyage, the richest treasure fleet and that’s something I’d very much hope this Buddha gives us the opportunity to do.”

Young didn’t want to make the guest wait any longer though, simply stating: “Let’s clear it up straight away. Yes it is Ming,” causing the Australian to smile and breathe a sigh of relief.

He went on to explain that it was an infant Buddha which were brought out to celebrate Buddha’s birthday, pouring purified water or tea over its shoulders.

“I’m amazed to find out that it is Ming dynasty, because that does make it the oldest Chinese artifact in Australian history,” the guest remarked.

“What we’re very curious about is this the sort of thing a Chinese plumber was having commissioned or would it potentially be Imperial?”

“Well, there is an example of one of the infant Buddhas in the Imperial collection at the palace. No, it wouldn’t have been a plumber, it would have been someone of some standing.”

Antiques Roadshow expert Lee Young said a Ming dynasty Buddha could go for £100,000. (Image: BBC) SUBSCRIBE Invalid email

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Young then began to speak of the item’s worth: “I mean, look, without the story, I would tell you I think if that came up for auction, it is a Ming dynasty piece, it would probably carry a pre-sale value of an estimate of £3,000 to £4,000. Something like that, as an object, without that story.

“But as you rightly say, this is historically, incredibly important and we’re all history hunters, collectors are history hunters, and I can see people getting scooped up in this if it did ever come on the open market.

“If the hammer fell at £10,000, would I be surprised? No. If it fell at £50,000 would I be surprised? No.

“And even if it made £100,000, I don’t think I’d be that surprised, because there’s only one of these with that story.

“I’m actually honoured to have been as close to this - it’s history making and for you to have made that incredible journey with him, to be here today, so look, thank you.

While Young was speaking, the guest looked stunned and quietly stated “woah”.

When asked what his plans were for the statue, he started to tear up midway through talking.

“We come from a very proud Indigenous community - sorry - and one of our best friends Nick, we said goodbye to him just before we came for the show.

“We’ve spoken about it and if we did go to the open market, then we’d very much like to build a museum in his honour that tells the story of the Buddha.”

Young replied: “I think that would be a fitting tribute to him. It’s been a real treat to see it and to meet you and to meet Buddha.”

Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Antiques Roadshow guest tears up over touching plan after 6-figure Buddha price tease

Antiques Roadshow guest tears up over touching plan after 6-figure Buddha price tease

Antiques Roadshow guest tears up over touching plan after 6-figure Buddha price tease

Antiques Roadshow guest tears up over touching plan after 6-figure Buddha price tease

Antiques Roadshow guest tears up over touching plan after 6-figure Buddha price tease