BBC Antiques Roadshow guest gasps and turns away in tears after staggering valuation
Antiques Roadshow expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan was amazed by a set of items a guest brought that traced back to her great uncle's time as an engineer in Prince Rupert, British Colombia.
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An emotional moment unfolded on a classic episode of Antiques Roadshow when a guest was left in tears after discovering the value of a family heirloom that had always adorned their home wall. The popular BBC programme, hosted by Fiona Bruce, returned with another episode on Sunday night, this time broadcasting from Ham House in Richmond-upon-Thames.
Expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan was captivated by a collection of items brought in by a guest, which traced back to her great uncle's tenure as an engineer in Prince Rupert, British Colombia. The guest described the items as "a love story", revealing that her great-uncle had sent a gold bangle and a letter to her great-aunt when he travelled to Canada to help develop the town.
She shared: "Our great uncle wrote this letter in 1910 leaving behind his beloved and said I will send you a token and I want you to wait for me. When they did get together, he must have brought home this paddle, which was a prized item for our uncle and aunt and was on their wall for the duration of their lives."
She added: "Well, he was an engineer, I believe and he was helping to create the town and designing buildings for the town of Prince Rupert." Ronnie was fascinated by the items, explaining that northwest tribes crafted them and that the bangle was made of 22-carat gold.
The expert explained: "These truly amazing objects are made by Northwest Coast tribes of which there are between half a dozen and 10 that I know of.
"This paddle was made in Cedar and painted with totemic sea creatures.
"The bangle is very hard to determine where it's from. It's clearly Northwest Coast. It's clearly British Columbia, Vancouver Island, or further north."
Ronnie estimated that the bangle, combined with the paddle board and the accompanying story, would be worth between £6,000 - £7,000.
The guest gasped in shock and turned away to the audience as she replied: "Wow, that is amazing, that is fantastic, what a lovely story."
"We've always revered them in our family so to hear a professional talk about their excellence is so special," she later said.
"Obviously you know the heritage of the First Nation people but to hear those words was just amazing and I was a bit choked up."
