Antiques Roadshow: Book and brooch valued by Susan Rumfitt
Fans of Antiques Roadshow were gobsmacked to discover the high price of a bird’s head ornament that was brought in by two women, with one calling for it to be “killed with fire”.
In an episode which aired on Sunday evening, expert Steven Moore was inspecting a creepy-looking statue which was playfully called Ernie.
Calling it a face only a mother could love, Steven spoke to the owners to find out more about the odd antique.
Revealing it was in her grandmother’s spare bedroom for a while, the guest’s daughter said: “If we stayed over, we were terrified of it.
“Definitely couldn’t sleep with it in there, we would cry until it was removed and hidden far away from us.”
Looking at the item closer, the expert revealed it had been made by the artist Robert Wallace Martin.
However, it was clear there was something wrong with the statue as Steven noticed the head and body didn’t match.
He said: “I think they are disparate things, but these are known as Wally birds, the head bit.
“They are very collectable. The base, I think a collector would pay £2,000 for it, easily. The head, because it’s so characterful I think I would pay £4,000 for it.”
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The guest’s daughter commented how high the value of the head alone was, although the expert revealed it would be much greater if they found the correct pieces.
He added: “If you found the head for this body and the body for this head, you would have a profit of £60,000 to £70,000.
“That’s how much the two separate items would be if they were complete.”
Stunned at the eye-watering value, the daughter admitted Ernie is yet to grow on her although he holds funny childhood memories for her.
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Viewers watching the episode were quick to share their thoughts on the bird’s staggering value.
@Wiltswoman questioned: “Who, in their right mind, wou
@SARamsay1 commented: “£4K just for the head!”
One viewer quipped: “Haunted bird head – kill it with fire”
With @SARamsay1 adding: “What a horrible looking ornament Erni
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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