An Antiques Roadshow guest was left gasping after learning that a tea set she had rescued from a charity shop donation was worth a five-figure sum. The Chinese tea set, which had been stored in an attic for around 80 years, was valued at between £1,500 and £2,500 by expert Serhat Ahmet.
The woman brought the red porcelain set, complete with teapots, cups and saucers, to the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea for the BBC One programme. She explained that the set had belonged to her late relative Margaret, who died last year at the age of 94, and had been passed down from Margaret's father, a Merchant Navy captain who purchased it in Shanghai.
Ahmet was immediately impressed, exclaiming 'wow' as the green case was opened. He noted the original wrapping paper from the factory on Nanking Road, Shanghai, and an old newspaper from 1947 which confirmed the date of purchase. The guest said Margaret would have been around 14 when her father gave her the set, but she apparently did not like it and never used it.
Highlighting the delicate sgraffito patterns of Ching dragons, Ahmet explained that the etching would have been done while the porcelain was still slightly wet. 'We are looking at the very high end of teaware production in this period,' he said. He then delivered the valuation, leaving the guest incredulous.
'Really?' she laughed. 'You're not serious... That's outrageous. Goodness me, I don't know what to say. I can't get over it!' She admitted she had guessed it was worth just £100 to her husband. The episode aired on Sunday, 4th January, as part of the new series.
