'Frightening' Value Of 150-Year-Old Majolica Pottery | Antiques Roadshow
#AntiquePorcelain"All valuations were correct at the time of broadcast. These pieces of majolica earthenware from the 1870s were once accepted as payment-in-kind from a sea captain who couldn't pay his hotel bill! This style of pottery is recognised for its corbel legs and fascinating design, but is its value as frightening as its appearance? The experts from Antiques Roadshow take a look at some fantastic antiques and the history and stories surrounding them. This clip was filmed in Llanelli in 2000.
A sea captain came into the hotel and apparently he couldn't pay his bill.
And they had this off him as collateral.
This was given as payment in kind?
In kind, yes.
He just happened to have one in his bag?
Well, it was on a board ship.
Right.
So he came into port, he went to this hotel, he couldn't pay,
and he said, on board I've got one of these.
Do you know when that was?
In the early part of the century it was.
The early 1900s.
Right.
Where does it live today?
It's in town.
It's been in the front window, in the bay window.
I've been married 41 years and it was there when I was caught in.
And it hasn't moved till it's come here.
So that's a sea captain.
What about this one?
It was all part of the same...
Yes, yes.
Now, they're quite heavy objects.
Yes, yes.
And I have to admit, I did have a little sneak underneath both of them just earlier on.
The fact is that this is slightly earlier than this one.
I see.
They weren't made at the same time.
I see, yes.
Both of these objects belong to the huge group of pottery wares
coming out of Staffordshire in the 1860s, 70s, 80s,
known as Majolica ware, from Italian wares of the Renaissance period.
But this is straight out of China, really, isn't it?
Yes, it is, yes.
It's basically a Chinese wood urn stand, but done in pottery.
Yes, yes.
With these wonderful cabriolet legs and this typical chinoiserie apron here.
This is actually dated 1875.
Yes.
But this urn, which is in a completely different style, is dated two years later.
I see, yes.
This is 1877, and it's done in the Italian style.
I mean, these pan masks, these pants sticking their tongues out,
do you ever get unpleasant comments from people passing the window?
Well, the wife used to take her friends in to frighten them,
when they were little kids, little children.
To frighten them?
To frighten them, yes.
Someone's obviously looked after this,
because there's a certain amount of spraying on here.
Yes.
Tell me about that.
Well, we didn't know about that until we started,
when somebody came down to the house Saturday,
and then that's when it was noticed first.
But someone in the family has been using a nice metallic car spray paint.
Oh, heck.
I suspect what's happened is, at some stage, that probably took frost damage.
I see, yes.
And the frost started to peel off the glaze on top,
and so someone went down to a local car emporium
and bought a nice one of these sprays.
I see, yes.
I've got a good idea with that one.
Oh, have you?
I've got a good idea, yes.
Oh, right, I hope I haven't started any trouble.
No, no, he's not with us anymore.
But inside, this is the important thing,
inside there is no evidence of any damage.
So I'm not going to treat this too seriously.
This is still not too bad.
Now, you say you've been using these to frighten people.
Do you have any idea of value?
Nothing at all.
We have not the foggiest idea with this.
Right.
Two pieces of minted majolica ware, 1875, 1877.
This one, just to frighten you,
is probably worth somewhere between £3,000 and £5,000.
Yes.
And this one, with the damage,
is probably worth somewhere between £4,000 and £7,000.
Yes, yes.
A lot of money.
Even more frightening than it was before?
Yes, yes.
So you'll have to be insured then.
Oh, yes.
Yes.