An Antiques Roadshow guest was moved to tears after learning the true value of three paintings she had bought for just £1 each at auction. The emotional moment took place during a recent episode filmed at Caerphilly Castle in South Wales.
Among the items brought in for appraisal were a vinyl record by Led Zeppelin and three paintings, which art expert Rupert Maas examined closely. The works were identified as Nigerian modernist pieces by Akinola Lasekan, and Maas described them as "quite impressive" before looking at them in detail.
Paintings bought for £1 at auction
Maas said: "I thought these were lovely, really beautiful," as the guest revealed she had found the paintings at a furniture auction in Talgarth town hall with her late sister, paying just £1 for each one. She explained: "My sister loved those, the two, these two portraits. She kept those and she gave me [the other] one."
Maas noted that while African art is often associated with bold, vivid colours, these paintings used delicate pastel tones. He added: "I just love the way they're done, actually, and the backs of them are almost as good as the fronts. Look, they're kind of made in a local carpenter's shop, these stretchers. And this canvas - well, I don't know what it is, but it looks like sacking or something, and it's just so real. And you can just imagine him in Lagos, in Nigeria, making all of that and then painting them quickly."
Valuation brings tears of joy
Maas praised the works, saying: "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." He added: "This man was right at the beginning of it all, so he's important," before delivering the valuations.
Two of the artworks were valued at £7,000 to £10,000, while the portrait of a young princess could fetch between £12,000 and £18,000 at auction. Maas then declared: "So, the whole lot is probably worth about £30,000 or £40,000," prompting the guest to exclaim: "Oh! Wow! Oh, my goodness," before her niece burst into tears beside her.
Family reaction to the news
The emotional guest said: "She'd have loved it, my sister would have loved that. Loved to have seen it. Thank you so much." Her daughter added: "That was incredible. That is a rags to riches story, and my mum would have been absolutely over the moon," as her aunt chimed in: "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."
