Antiques Roadshow: Peacock dish rescued from a skip gets appraised
WARNING: This article includes spoilers from Antiques Roadshow.
An Antiques Roadshow guest shared she had to rescue a stunning peacock-adorned dish from a skip not once, but twice, after her husband attempted to throw it away.
During filming at Firstsite in Colchester, expert Chris Yeo met a mother-daughter duo to discuss the dish's history and value.
Chris complimented their vibrant outfits, saying: "You've both brought some real colour to the Roadshow today, you've even upstaged a peacock which takes some doing!"
The mother explained that the dish had belonged to her mother-in-law in Cornwall but her husband had little affection for it and had discarded it in the skip.
"My husband, I don't think cared for it very much and I found that he put this dish in the skip", she said.
Chris expressed surprise, asking: "In a skip?, with the mother confirming: "In a skip. So I put it to one side and then about half an hour later, I went back to check and the dish had gone back in again."
Chris responded: "Well that's no good, is it?", as she agreed: "No. So I took it out and said, 'No, I don't want it throwing away.'"
When Chris asked the daughter about her thoughts on the item, she replied, "I absolutely love it. It has sat up on the dresser all of my life and I've just admired it up there and I'm really hoping one day mum's going to let me have it."
Chris delved into the history of a unique copper item on Antiques Roadshow, highlighting its design: "Well let's have a quick look at the front first, because we've got this rather splendid, proud peacock and then this wonderful scrollwork around the outside.
"Now we said right at the beginning that it's made of copper but everyone knows copper is supposed to gleam and be orange but this isn't orange. It's more like something else, what's going on, it's really dull."
The owner admitted her uncertainty about cleaning the piece: "I wasn't sure if it was meant to be like this or not so I'm afraid I took the easy way out and didn't clean it."
Chris reassured her, confirming her decision was correct: "Well I'm very glad you decided not to, because this is how it's meant to look.
"Because what the original intention was, was that this should emulate bronze so it's absolutely right, it's in its original condition."
The dish bore the name John Pearson and the date 1891, marking the "start of the arts and crafts movement".
Chris elaborated on Pearson's background: "He was an interesting character. He started off working in London at the Guild of Handicraft which is one of the early organisations involved in the arts and crafts ethos.
"But he got the sack because he was moonlighting, doing his own thing, and that was strictly against the rules and he was sent away."
"And when he went to Cornwall to the industrial school where he was master metalworker there."
The expert concluded with enthusiasm: "Well I've got to say I'm very pleased that you rescued it from a skip not once but twice, because I think in the right sale, I can see this doing rather well. And I think at auction, I think it's £600 to £800."
The revelation clearly took the guests by surprise, eliciting a stunned response from the mother who could only muster: "Wow. Excellent."
Expert Chris then jested with the guest: "So you can go home and crow to your husband now and say, 'See? I was right.'"
The owner of the item reflected on its aesthetics, mentioning: "It's very beautiful", to which Chris responded appreciatively: "It's lovely. Thank you very much for bringing it in."
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
