An Antiques Roadshow guest returned to the show with a 'ferociously ugly' vase after a disappointing first encounter with an expert. The guest had earlier brought in a glass item that was dismissed as 'rubbish', prompting her to come back with what she considered 'the good stuff'.
Expert stunned by guest's blunt reply
During the episode filmed at Clissold Park in Hackney, glass specialist Andy McConnell was left dumbfounded when he recognized the guest. He said: 'Wait a minute, I've seen you here before today.' The guest replied: 'I came in earlier this morning and I brought you a glass which you said was rubbish so I came back with the good stuff.'
McConnell gasped in surprise and defended his earlier remark: 'Well you did! Because I remember the glass in question and I didn't say it was rubbish, I said it was worth a tenner.'
Vases from Sweden's Kosta Boda factory
The guest presented two vases from the Kosta Boda factory in Sweden, where she previously lived. McConnell remarked: 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? So there are people who think they are ferociously ugly. So what's the appeal?'
The guest explained: 'The colours were the thing, absolutely wonderful colours. The Swedes are very good at glass and I think it's because of the light. The wonderful light you get.' McConnell agreed, saying: 'I think that's all true. The Swedes, in my book, are, with the Finns, the greatest glass makers of the latter 20th Century.'
Valuation and personal connection
McConnell revealed that one vase was called an 'ugly face vase', designed by Kjell Engman from Kosta Boda's Cancan collection, bearing the number 95. The guest said she paid about £50 for them. McConnell valued one at £150 and the other at £200 to £250, saying: 'So what do you reckon? That's alright, isn't it?'
The guest responded: 'Not bad. But I keep them because they remind me of Sweden and the wonderful Swedish light and beauty of the countryside.' McConnell shared his own fondness for Sweden, confessing: 'Love it. I spent every summer there for 10 years and I really, really miss it.'
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
