WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Antiques Roadshow.
An Antiques Roadshow guest barely reacted when he was told of the true value of his 175-year-old walking sticks.
Expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan was on hand to meet a guest who presented him with two walking staffs which doubled up as “defenders”, according to the specialist.
He continued: “These are absolutely bonkers and that’s what they’re made for, bonking people on the head with.
“I mean the faces are just out there, aren’t they? Have you had them long?”
“Personally, just a matter of months really but they’ve been in the family 90, probably 100 years,” the guest replied.
Archer-Morgan elaborated: “Well they are his and hers actually, this is a she and that’s a he.
“Glass eyes, both of them, they are incredible folk art. Folk art’s a funny area.
“You can never be exactly sure with certain things like these and these are definitely British.
“I do think they’re probably Welsh, they’re a fruit wood, could be pear probably and they’re about 1850. They could actually be a bit earlier.”
The expert then pointed to one of the sticks which had been damaged, remarking: “And this one has lost a lump there. I reckon that missing piece is embedded in someone’s skull right now.”
The owner then quipped: “Not guilty!”, much to the audience’s amusement.
“But I love this kind of folk art, it’s caricature-ish, it’s just, as I said, bonkers,” Archer-Morgan said.
“They’re so funny, so humorous and they’re so well executed."
But when the expert questioned the guest if he actually liked the pieces, he stated: “To a certain extent.”
He then confessed: “When my grandson stays he won’t have them in the room. He’s frightened to death of them!”
“Really? Well I suppose if you’re not used to the idea they’re quite scary,” the expert sympathised.
It was then time for the appraisal itself: “But scary or not, the price might scare you, they’re about £400 each, so that’s £800 for the pair.”
Barely reacting to the value itself, the guest simply laughed: “Well that’s better than being under the bed, isn’t it?”
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
