Featured Image Credit: BBC
Topics: BBC, Film and TV, Weird, UK News
Callum Jones
An Antiques Roadshow expert caused a bit of a stir after refusing to provide a valuation on one particular ‘grotesque’ item.
The popular BBC programme sees experts travel across the UK to value antiques and art brought in by locals.
In fact, the show has been that much of a success across the pond that the Antiques Roadshow has seen multiple international iterations.
Many items on the show are valuable with some even being sold for eye-watering sums of money.
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However, not all items on the show are actually valued by experts, with a perfect example coming in 2021.
Specialist Marc Allum refused to value a strange-looking object after a guest brought an alien-like figure onto the BBC show.
The guest explained how they had unearthed the object in an old coal shed while excavating his property.
"This is the strangest, most enigmatic little object I've seen for a long time," Allum said.
Confused but also intrigued, the Antiques Roadshow expert asked the guest how he came about finding the item.
They replied: "We were excavating out the back of our property and when the builders got close to the house, they uncovered what we think is an old coal shed.
"We found what looked like just a strangely shaped pebble just sitting in the rubble."
Allum ultimately labelled the item as 'grotesque' before admitting to not being able to put a valuation on the object as he wasn't able to identify what it was.
It comes as another Antiques Roadshow expert refused to put a value on an item due to its dark past.
"I want to make it absolutely clear that myself and we in The Antiques Roadshow wholly and unequivocally disapprove of the trade in ivory," said expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan, while opening the valuation process.
The item in question was an ivory bracelet, which was engraved with text and in perfect looking condition as it sits on a purple cushion.
After spending £3 on the item in a house sale, the guest was hoping to make a nice profit on it.
But they were completely unaware of its dark history.
"But this ivory bangle here is not about trading in ivory, it's about trading in human life," Archer-Morgan continued.
"It's probably one of the most difficult things that I've ever had to talk about, but talk about it we must."
While the bracelet may be amazing, the expert explained the history and the 'callous' links to the slave trade of the 17th and 18th century.