BBC Bargain Hunt star's record-breaking win on £390k rare attic item that was left for 50 years

Daily Record

23-05-2025

Bargain Hunt's Charles Hanson uncovered the show's most expensive ever find in an old teapot, which had been left rotting in a loft for half a century, with its owners unaware that it was one of only three in the world.
One of Bargain Hunt's best ever finds had been collecting dust in a Derbyshire attic for years before it went on to sell for a staggering £390,000 at auction. Expert Charles Hanson uncovered a Chinese teapot that had been rotting away in a loft for half a century, branding it as 'the most important object' he has ever sold.
The 18th century teapot was almost thrown out in a spring clean by its owners. Luckily, the rare Chinese wine ewer was rescued in time for it to make an appearance on the BBC show - and for viewers to discover it's one of only three similar pieces internationally known.
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The antique had originally been inherited from World War II serviceman Ronald Wadsworth, a Burma Star medal owner. However, it was almost donated to a charity episode before the 2023 episode of the BBC show identified it as playing an important role in Chinese Emperor Qianlong's court, the Express r eports.
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Antique expert Charles explained on the show: 'Emperor Qianlong who was that great Emperor of the Arts, he wanted his Beijing enamelist to make the very best. And the quality is simply out of this world.
"This is one of only three known, one's in a museum in Taiwan, one's in the museum of Beijing, China, and out of humble Burton-Upon-Trent, voila – unbelievably we have another.
"It's probably what Faberge is to Russians and what imperial enamel is to Chinese billionaires and this to me, is a must-have object for any important Chinese connoisseur wishing to buy the best of Emperor Qianlong's treasures.
'This object for me, is in its historical placement, the most important object I've ever sold.'
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He continued: 'Unbeknown to the owner, it had been in his house, in his loft, for over 50 years.
"His grandfather, Ronald, was in Japan in the mid-early 1940s, and it came home and it just languished."
Despite its tremendous value, the teapot did not immediately stand out as valuable.
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Explaining why this was to his co-star Natasha Raskin-Sharp, Charles said: ' It was sleepy, it took a while to wake up.
"But because we thought, this is interesting, so we booked it in at a low estimate, [thinking] it might be worth £100 to £150."
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He added: 'And then, as we look at the objects and we begin to research, suddenly we increase that guide to between £20,000 and £40,000.
"Now we're advising the market that this important ewer is probably going to be guided at between £100,000 and £150,000. But though, we're still not at boiling point – literally!'
In the end, the rare piece made an eye watering £390,000 at auction, breaking a record for the show.
BBC Bargain Hunt airs on BBC One at 12:15 and 13:15 through from Mondays to Thursdays each week.