A guest brought a wooden carving of an eagle to the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow that had been bought by his son-in-law at a junk shop near York. The guest admitted that he didn’t like the carving, but was surprised to learn its value.
Cristian Beadman, the antiques expert, said that the carving was made in Brienz, a town in Switzerland that, in the 19th and 20th centuries, was famous for producing animal carvings from linden wood. During a famine in 1815, when farmers were short of products to sell, carvers sourced local timber to create souvenir carvings, which raised money to support the local community.
Beadman said that the eagle was a fine example of a Brienz carving:
“The naturalism of the feathers, the way the wind is lifting them. It’s in almost perfect condition. It’s a beautiful colour, beautifully carved, pretty good condition.”
When asked about what he thought of the carving, the guest said that he admired the workmanship of it but did not like it, though his son-in-law was fond of it. When asked by the expert how much his son-in-law had paid for the carving, he said £76. Beadman then surprised the guest by valuing the carving between £5,000 and £10,000.
It’s perhaps unlikely that you’ll purchase an antique from a Lancashire antique dealer for less than £100 that you can later sell for thousands. However, you will find many fine antique desks, sofas and chairs that you won’t have to pay thousands of pounds for.