An Antiques Roadshow guest was moved to tears after discovering that three paintings she bought for £1 each could be worth up to £40,000. The episode, broadcast on Sunday (October 4), was filmed at Caerphilly Castle in south Wales.
Nigerian artworks impress expert
Art dealer Rupert Maas was presented with three Nigerian modernist artworks by Akinola Lasekan, founder of the art movement. He described the pieces as "quite impressive" and added: "I thought these were lovely, really beautiful."
The guest revealed she first came across the paintings at a furniture sale in Talgarth town hall alongside her late sister, picking them up for £1 apiece. She said: "My sister loved those, the two, these two portraits. She kept those and she gave me [the other] one."
Valuations revealed
Rupert noted that African art is typically associated with bold, vibrant colours, yet these works had been crafted using delicate pastel shades. One piece, dated 1995, depicted a portrait of a princess, while the other was a portrait of a well-born young man named Ayodele.
"They're all three oils on canvas. They're very sincere, they're very of the people, and I think that's what we like about them. Their honesty, as well as their prettiness," the expert said. He added: "This man was right at the beginning of it all, so he's important."
Rupert disclosed that two of the paintings were valued at £7,000 to £10,000, while the portrait of the young princess could command between £12,000 and £18,000 at auction. "So, the whole lot is probably worth about £30,000 or £40,000," he said.
Emotional tribute
"Oh! Wow! Oh, my goodness," the stunned guest exclaimed, moments before her niece dissolved into tears. Reflecting on her late sister, she said: "She'd have loved it, my sister would have loved that. Loved to have seen it. Thank you so much."
The daughter added: "That was incredible. That is a rags to riches story, and my mum would have been absolutely over the moon." Her aunt said: "Well, we've loved them for about 30 years. It's about 30 years it's been there now, isn't it? So, it's been absolutely part of the family."
The daughter then disclosed she would be parting with her mum's paintings as part of her legacy. "She would be thrilled. And it will be sad to see them go, but time for somebody else to enjoy them, perhaps. But yeah, it's a bit of an emotional day," she concluded.
