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A BBC Antiques Roadshow expert was stunned by one guest’s historic artefact and even told him he “wouldn’t be happy” with what he had to say about it.
During the episode, which aired on Sunday, audiences gathered at Forty Hall in north London to show off their prized possessions.
But one guest left expert appraiser Ronnie Archer-Morgan stumped when he brought in his family heirloom.
The intricately carved wooden stick had been in the guest’s family for as long as he could remember, but he had no idea what it was.
All he could tell Ronnie was that he came from India and had been in his family for years.
A BBC Antiques Roadshow expert was stunned by a guest’s historic artefact and even told him he “wouldn’t be happy” with what he had to say on Sunday’s episode.
Expert appraiser Ronnie Archer-Morgan was stumped by the intricately carved wooden stick, which the guest explained had once belonged to his mother.
The stick had been in the guest’s family for as long as he could remember, but he had no idea what it was; all he could tell Ronnie was that it came from India.
He said: “It’s been in my family for as long as I can remember. My mother was born in India and married in India.
“It’s been in the family ever since. At one point, my mother tried to explain to me what it was for. It has metal holes in it, as you can see on the top.”
The guest then explained that his mother would place sticks inside the object and “hold it up to the sun and the stick would create a shadow.”
While examining the object, Ronnie asked, ‘Like a sundial?’
The guest replied: “Yes, but sundials can’t be moved. I never knew exactly how they worked anyway.”
The description confused expert Ronnie, but it didn’t discourage him.
He said, “You might like to know that I love it, but you might not like to know why. I love it because I don’t know what it is!”
Examining the length of the stick, Ronnie explained, “Here and here is clearly Indian writing,” and was impressed with the craftsmanship, adding that it had numbers on all eight sides and no wear or tear.
Ronnie explained that the stick was written in a very neat Indian script and had no signs of wear. He ruled out it being a walking stick, but he was still unsure of its purpose.
Despite the mystery, the expert said he would be happy to pay up to £200 to get to the bottom of the matter, adding that it would be a “cheap lesson” and he would be happy to have it.
The couple were shocked by the assessment and joined Ronnie in asking viewers to help explain what the mysterious relic was and what it had been used for.
Ronnie said that despite not knowing what the stick was, he would be happy to pay to get to the bottom of it.
He said, “I’d be happy to pay up to $200 for that. Probably not more. But I’d pay $200 just to have it and find out… what a cheap lesson it would be!”
Despite his assessment, the expert was confused as to its purpose and could only suggest what it was not, concluding that it could not have been used as a walking stick.
He continued: “It’s definitely old, it’s between 100 and 120 or 130 years old, from the late 19th to 20th century.”
Despite the mystery, Ronnie was enamored with the article and asked viewers to help solve the case.
Ronnie said: “I’m appealing to people watching the show to please tell us. And there would be a price!”
Despite Ronnie’s confusion, the guest was delighted with his assessment, describing it as “lovely” before adding that he hoped someone could tell him what it had been used for.
Traveling exhibition of antiques It airs on BBC One on Sunday nights at 7pm
