An Antiques Roadshow guest was left stunned after learning that an 18th-century pole club, discovered in a house in west Wales, was worth up to £150,000. The BBC programme visited Firstsite in Colchester, where expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan examined the item, which he identified as an Akatara from the Cook Islands.
The guest explained that her husband's parents had bought a house in the 1960s with all its contents, and the pole was among them. Initially, she believed it originated from Fiji, but Archer-Morgan corrected her, noting that it was a magnificent ironwood pole club from the Cook Islands, used originally as a fighting weapon and later as a ceremonial object imbued with 'mana'—the spiritual power of a warrior chief.
Archer-Morgan praised the craftsmanship, noting that the club was stone-cut in the 18th century, with a double-scalloped edge and crisp lines. He described it as 'very rare' and 'very important', adding that he had never held one before. Despite a small tip missing, he estimated its value at £100,000 to £150,000 in a top Paris sale.
The guest exclaimed 'Crikey!' and 'Wow, that's amazing, isn't it?' upon hearing the valuation. Archer-Morgan emphasised that he loved the object for its power and energy, not its monetary worth, and invited the guest to hold it with him, saying they could both 'feel powerful'.
