A guest on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow was left utterly speechless and emotionally overwhelmed after learning that a humble £50 car boot sale purchase, which he had been casually using as a doorstop for the past year, is actually a valuable work of art worth up to £15,000. The remarkable revelation unfolded during a recent episode filmed at the historic Beaumaris Castle in North Wales, where experts delved into the fascinating stories behind visitors' treasured items.
From Doorstop to Discovery
The gentleman, who acquired the intriguing stone sculpture approximately three years ago at a car boot sale in Anglesey, brought it to the show primarily out of curiosity about its origins. He confessed to specialists, "I've always been perplexed, wondering what it is. It's been a doorstop for the past 12 months." Initially, he speculated it might be of African descent but had little concrete information, stating, "I picked it up in a car boot sale in Anglesey about three years ago and paid £50 for it, so I'm just interested to see where it came from. Somebody mentioned it could be African, I don't know."
Expert Analysis Unveils Artistic Treasure
Specialist John Foster, who examined the piece, identified it as the creation of Ben Enwonwu, a highly celebrated Nigerian sculptor renowned for blending Nigerian artistic traditions with Western influences. Foster elaborated on Enwonwu's significance, noting, "What was so brilliant about him was that he was the first pioneer in mixing Nigerian art with Western art. Known really as a sculptor in bronze and in stone and this being in carved stone." He estimated the sculpture likely dates from the 1970s, based on its distinctive style.
A crucial clue was the faint stamp of the Zwemmer Gallery on the base, a London gallery that propelled Enwonwu to international fame in the 1940s. Foster explained, "Having that name underneath, the very faintly Zwemmer Gallery, which they were the ones who basically put on the exhibition, it is really the key to this being absolutely genuine." This authentication led to a conservative auction estimate of £10,000 to £15,000, with Foster adding that some of Enwonwu's works can fetch hundreds of thousands.
Emotional Reaction and Future Plans
Upon hearing the valuation, the guest was visibly shocked, exclaiming in Welsh before asking Foster to repeat the figure. He gasped, "You're joking. Oh my God," and later admitted, "I could cry," to which Foster sympathetically responded, "I can see it's made you emotional." The owner expressed his complete surprise, saying, "I had no inclination at all that this was going to be worth so much money. It's shocked me to be honest and pleasantly shocked me."
Reflecting on his initial expectations, he shared, "I came here just on the off chance of having a nice day out. I thought it might be worth £100, I paid £50, so I thought if I can double my money, I'd be laughing." While he expressed a desire to keep the sculpture, he acknowledged the need for pragmatism, stating, "In an ideal world, I'd love to keep it, but probably not. I have to be pragmatic and think seriously about what I should do with it." This heartwarming story underscores the unpredictable and often life-changing discoveries that make Antiques Roadshow a beloved television staple.
