Antiques Roadshow guest gobsmacked at four-figure price tag of damaged junk shop item.
An Antiques Roadshow guest couldn't believe the value of his 18th century statue which he paid just £5 for.
The experts headed to Stephens House Gardens in north London where Lee Young was presented with a lohan.
Asked about how he came to possess the object, the guest recalled: 'Back in the mid 70s I was walking down the high street in Surbiton and came across this junk shop stroke antiques shop and I just liked it.' Citing the number one rule of liking an object, Lee claimed it then doesn't matter how much you pay for it or its value.
Delving into the history of the statue, Lee said: 'I think it's late 18th or even possibly 19th century.
If you pick him up he does have that soapy softness of the stone - a lot of happy hands have held that over the years.
But actually it's done it a great service because it's put so much colour into the stone.
He's a lohan and the lohans were the guardians of the Shakyamuni Buddha and they went through the four stages of enlightenment so I feel much more enlightened with him sitting there with me today.' As Lee turned the item around, he pointed out that it was originally holding something.
'You can see on the back here that he was clearly reaching for something and it was probably a back scratcher,' he said.
Praising the object, Lee noted the item sits really nicely on the wave finished base and beautifully carved.
But he realised the statue had been extensively damaged because not only was it missing part of its arm, his head had also been chopped off at one point.
The guest was forced to reveal he glued the head back on after it was cut off by his nephew.
The expert turned to putting a price tag on the object which the guest purchased for just £5.
'Even with the condition he's in I think that would make £1,000 to £1,500 at auction,' Lee revealed.
'Wow,' the gobsmacked guest exclaimed.
'I had no idea that's amazing.' However, Lee admitted the guest should have a word with his nephew as it would be worth £2,000 to £3,000 had its head not been knocked off.
He added: 'If you can find the rest of the arm I reckon he'd be worth £3,000 to £4,000.' The guest was still stunned as he quipped: 'Wow I'm surprised I'm really shocked I had no idea.' The episode highlights the hidden treasures in junk shops and the impact of condition on value.
The lohan statue's history and craftsmanship add to its appeal despite damages.
An Antiques Roadshow guest couldn't believe the value of his 18th century statue which he paid just £5 for.
The experts headed to Stephens House Gardens in north London where Lee Young was presented with a lohan.
Asked about how he came to possess the object, the guest recalled: 'Back in the mid 70s I was walking down the high street in Surbiton and came across this junk shop stroke antiques shop and I just liked it.' Citing the number one rule of liking an object, Lee claimed it then doesn't matter how much you pay for it or its value.
Delving into the history of the statue, Lee said: 'I think it's late 18th or even possibly 19th century.
If you pick him up he does have that soapy softness of the stone - a lot of happy hands have held that over the years.
But actually it's done it a great service because it's put so much colour into the stone.
He's a lohan and the lohans were the guardians of the Shakyamuni Buddha and they went through the four stages of enlightenment so I feel much more enlightened with him sitting there with me today.' As Lee turned the item around, he pointed out that it was originally holding something.
'You can see on the back here that he was clearly reaching for something and it was probably a back scratcher,' he said.
Praising the object, Lee noted the item sits really nicely on the wave finished base and beautifully carved.
But he realised the statue had been extensively damaged because not only was it missing part of its arm, his head had also been chopped off at one point.
The guest was forced to reveal he glued the head back on after it was cut off by his nephew.
The expert turned to putting a price tag on the object which the guest purchased for just £5.
'Even with the condition he's in I think that would make £1,000 to £1,500 at auction,' Lee revealed.
'Wow,' the gobsmacked guest exclaimed.
'I had no idea that's amazing.' However, Lee admitted the guest should have a word with his nephew as it would be worth £2,000 to £3,000 had its head not been knocked off.
He added: 'If you can find the rest of the arm I reckon he'd be worth £3,000 to £4,000.' The guest was still stunned as he quipped: 'Wow I'm surprised I'm really shocked I had no idea.' The episode highlights the hidden treasures in junk shops and the impact of condition on value.
The lohan statue's history and craftsmanship add to its appeal despite damages.
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