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Bargain Hunt presenter Christina Trevanion struggled to hide her shock after learning an antique mask could be worth millions of pounds.
The presenter appeared on a recent episode of the BBC daytime favourite, where she visited Leominster in Hertfordshire to learn about tribal art.
While learning about historic tribal masks, he was surprised to discover that one could fetch up to £2 million at auction.
In the episode, Christina met with expert Sam Hanbury-Maiden, who explained how difficult it is to determine the age and origin of tribal art.
‘Sam, this looks like a fascinating collection. But what do we mean by the term tribal art? ‘ she asked.
Bargain Hunt presenter Christina Trevanion struggled to hide her shock after learning an antique mask could be worth millions of pounds.
He responded: ‘Essentially Christina we are talking about pieces that are not European in nature. Tribal art is a term that covers North and South America, Africa, and certain parts of Asia.
Sam then showed Christina some examples of tribal art, which included everyday items like tools and jewelry, noting that they are considered tribal art because “they are made by artisans.”
Pointing to an object, Christina asked, “I recognize this as a typical boomerang, but what is going on here?”
Sam explained: ‘The middle one is a more unusual variation of a boomerang, it’s called Lil Lil, which is a rarer type of boomerang.
‘Many people recognize the boomerang, rather a kind of U-shaped boomerang, which is the famous one that returns.
‘But these are not necessarily returning boomerangs. They are used for hunting.
“Some have very sharp edges and are used for cutting, others for digging.”
“You don’t find these every day, so that’s what makes them very desirable to collectors.”
The presenter appeared on a recent episode of the BBC daytime favourite, where she visited Leominster in Hertfordshire to learn about tribal art.
Christina then asked how much such a boomerang would cost at auction, and he replied: “That one you’re looking for could cost between £800 and £1,000,” while predicting another could be worth up to £1,500.
As for the face masks, Sam continued, “These masks date from approximately 1400 to 1460. One of the biggest telltale signs of the mask is actually not the front, but the back.”
“You’re seeing signs of wear that essentially come from wear on the side of the face or the top of the head.
‘This mask, for example, from the Yoruba tribe, has probably also been painted several times. If you look with a magnifying glass you can probably see the different layers of paint.
‘This Yoruba mask, maybe a little bit more, maybe £600 something like that. Big moneymakers are things like Gabonese fang masks.
“Again today there is a lot of copying, but a well-provided fang mask today, dating back to the 19th century, could cost a couple of million pounds.”
Stunned by the value of an item, a shocked Christina gasped: “£2 million, wow.”
In the episode, the red and blue teams recruited experts Kate Bliss and Ochuko Okiri to find the best items to put up for sale at auction.
Bargain Hunt is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. It also airs weekdays at 12:15pm on BBC One.