Fiona Bruce, along with the Antiques Roadshow crowd, couldn’t believe their ears during Sunday’s show when one expert delivered a staggering six-figure value on a piece of pottery.
For the episode, Bruce and her team of experts headed to Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery in west London where they perused over an array of items, including a note from Oscar Wilde and an Olympic medal from pre-WWII.
But it was a collection of Martinware pottery that caught the eye after Bruce learned the true value of the pottery.
“Martinware pottery, especially the iconic Wally Birds, has landed on our valuation tables from time to time, though it’s fair to say it hasn’t always appealed,” Bruce began.
“It may divide opinion but the Martin Brothers, creators of Martinware, were pioneering potters.”
Will Rees from Ealing Council, the curator of the largest selection of Martinware in the country, joined Bruce to share three items with the crowd and provided a brief history lesson on the potters and their work.
BBC Antiques Roadshow: Fiona Bruce couldn’t believe the value of the Martinware pot
BBC
After one particular piece caught Bruce’s eye, Rees explained: “It’s probably the highlight of our collection. It’s listed in our catalogue as the Old Man of the Sea. It looks like a shell with a face.”
Rees added that the brothers became more “ambitious” and “experimental” with their work after moving to Southall.
Bruce then pointed out a second jug which actually had the face of one of the brothers, Robert, emblazoned on the front.
A third vase looked like it’d been squished due to struggles with the heat of the kiln but rather than dispose of the collapsed item, the brothers included an inscription on the bottom to add meaning.
BBC Antiques Roadshow: Fiona Bruce was stunned to hear John Sandon’s valuation
BBC
Moments later, Bruce welcomed Antiques Roadshow regular John Sandon to evaluate the pieces.
Delving into his love of Martinware that stemmed from his father, Sandon explained: “He loved it. But sadly, my mum made him sell it all because she hated it. So divisive, isn’t it?”
Bruce chipped back in: “We’ve seen the Wally Birds come on and they’ve had extraordinarily high values. I mean, they are in a museum collection but, I mean, if we were going to talk value for these three pieces… because they’re rare, I know.”
Sandon provided clarity as he said: “Yes. When you get an individual piece like this, it’s so important having Robert’s face on the front, but as a pot, it’s a rather strange one.”
Initially setting the bar low, Sandon continued: “So it’s hard to say how many thousands it’s worth. Not a huge sum because it’s strange.”
Turning his attention to the squashed pot, he went on: “No one would ever pay maybe £3,000 or £4,000 or £5,000 for that but then that’s still a lot for a squashed pot.”
“It’s an awful lot for a squashed pot!” Bruce replied before pointing to the Old Man of the Sea item. “And then what about this? I mean, can I confess Will? This would give me nightmares, but if someone wanted to buy that?”
Sandon explained: “There’s one other one like it which was sold just a few years ago and was thankfully saved for the nation. It’s now in the museum in Plymouth, but it cost the incredible sum of £260,000.”
BBC Antiques Roadshow: John Sandon is an expert when it comes to Martinware
BBC
Bruce was taken aback as she turned to the crowd behind her: “Oh! Gasps behind me here. Wow. Goodness me. Well, that valuation, you could blow me down with a feather.”
Rees chipped in to explain why they won’t be sold despite the value: “These are such collectible works but for us at the council, their value lies with being part of a public collection.”
