Antiques Roadshow guest speechless by five-figure price of box found wrapped in tablecloth
An Antiques Roadshow guest struggled to get his words out after finding out that a box which had been wrapped up in “brown paper and a tablecloth” was worth a five-figure sum.
The hit BBC daytime series travelled to Caversham to meet guests and value their weird and wonderful items, including expert John Foster who was presented with a “stunning” stumpwork box.
“So over the years, we’ve seen on the Roadshow, quite a lot of stumpwork and needlework, stumpwork being the raised panel sections of this box," Foster began. “You can date it quite easily to the reign of Charles II, so 1675-ish because his image is on top.
“Now how has something like this - because when we usually see it, it’s faded, torn - how has something survived for so long in this condition?”.
The young guest then went on to explain: “Well it came from Milton Manor in Oxfordshire which is where I’m the tour guide and the house was unoccupied for 40 years.
“And then when the family decided to move back in, a maid discovered this in one of the old servants’ bedrooms, wrapped up in brown paper and a tablecloth.
“So she brought it down and said ‘ta-dah!’
Antiques Roadshow guest speechless by five-figure price of box found wrapped in tablecloth. (Image: BBC)Antiques Roadshow guest John Foster described the box as 'museum quality'. (Image: BBC)Foster made a point of wearing white gloves to handle the item as he stated that salt from their fingers would “rot” the box.
When he asked the guest what research he had previously done on the item, he replied: “We can be fairly confident that it was made by a gentry family called Calton, because it’s exactly contemporary with the building of Milton Manor.
“So the house was in the hands of the Calton family for about 100 years and then my employers’ family got it 250 years ago so we think it’s stayed with the house its whole life.”
Foster continued: “That’s interesting in itself, because with something like this, you’re showing where your allegiances lie.
“You’ve got the royals on the top there and when you think of what was going on politically around that period, you had just the end of Oliver Cromwell, you had then the return of the monarchy from the Commonwealth of Charles II.
“This was saying ‘I am for the royals’ and you have the royals there.”
An Antiques Roadshow expert valued a stumpwork box for at least £50,000 (Image: BBC) SUBSCRIBE Invalid emailWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
He went on to point out a figure of a family on the front of the item, used as a ladies’ toilet box, which he believed could have been the owners of the property.
“They’re giving themselves status just below the royals, showing they are for the royals, ‘we’re for you’.
“And then when you spin it around, it’s full of all the symbolism from couples, leopards, Rebecca presumably at the well and then another well known biblical story of Abraham and Isaac.
“Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac when he was stopped at the last moment by God... Again, it just shows that allegiance, not only to God but to the Royal Family of the day.
“You’ve got a mixture here of woolwork, needlework and most stunningly of all, stumpwork which is basically like the raised panels to give it this 3D image and wooden hands.”
Concluding his appraisal, John commented: “You could go on about this endlessly, like I say, it’s just stunning to see it like this.
“It’s staggering to see. I mean, this is museum quality at its best... So, value, at auction, easily £50,000 to £70,000.”
The guest’s mouth dropped open at the value and he struggled to find the right words, much to the audience’s amusement.
“Wow. Shame it’s not mine," he joked. “I can’t believe it’s travelled down in our car and it spent the night in our sitting room.”
Foster added: “I’ve never seen anything like it and I don’t think I will in a long, long time.”
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Antiques Roadshow guest speechless by five-figure price of box found wrapped in tablecloth
Antiques Roadshow guest speechless by five-figure price of box found wrapped in tablecloth
Antiques Roadshow guest speechless by five-figure price of box found wrapped in tablecloth
Antiques Roadshow guest speechless by five-figure price of box found wrapped in tablecloth
Antiques Roadshow guest speechless by five-figure price of box found wrapped in tablecloth
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