AR: Expert values Clarice Cliff vase
WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Antiques Roadshow.
An Antiques Roadshow stuttered after discovering just how much her jumble sale vase was worth.
The iconic BBC daytime series saw expert Steven Moore meet with a woman to discuss a light blue vase that coincidentally almost matched his own suit.
“It’s a little known fact on the Antiques Roadshow that they actually choose the items to film to compliment what the experts are wearing," the expert joked.
When asked how she came to be in possession of the vase, the guest said: “Well I didn’t actually choose it. This was the gift to me from my three children in 1988.
“They bought it with their pocket money, which would have been a very little amount, and gave it to me as a Mothers’ Day present from a jumble sale.”
“I think my youngest daughter would say that she chose it and that she’s probably going to try and make a claim for it at some point.”
Elaborating on its provenance, Moore continued: “I think you know it’s by Clarice Cliff, it’s marked on the bottom, this is a range called inspiration.
“This probably dates around 1933 and it was really Clarice Cliff who was Britain’s top ceramic designers of that period, 1920s, 1930s.
“She was a pioneer of her time and this really shows her at the height of her powers and whilst these shapes are very much her, the colouring is quite different for her. And it shows a confident designer who felt she’d arrived.”
Moore then concluded: “If this was bought with pocket money today, you’d probably have Bill Gates as your father, because this would cost you £1,500 to buy now.”
The guest exhaled in surprise: “Good gracious!” before taking a brief pause. She then stuttered: “Well I, um, um that is - that is amazing! I don’t love it anymore now that I know that it’s £1,500 worth but I still just love it.”
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
