Antiques Roadshow expert slams ‘fluke' price for toy plates before giving five-figure price tag

Edinburgh Live

2 days ago

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An Antiques Roadshow expert slammed the previous price of a doll's house plate set as a "fluke" before giving an even bigger appraisal.
Expert Fergus Gambon was eager to uncover the history behind the dinner set, to which the guest explained: "In 1968, my mother was going to go to Hampton Court Palace to buy a doll house because she was a collector."
She revealed that while her mother parted with the doll's house itself, she held onto the dinner set upon learning it was "identical" to that in Queen Mary's infamous doll's house.
Fergus, impressed, said: "Wow, that's wonderful. But Queen Mary's doll's house, which most of us know about, and it was completed in 1924, and it was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, one of the greatest English architects.
"It's a national treasure and it's on display at Windsor Castle. You've seen it, I presume."
When the guest admitted her only viewing was through a book, Gambon encouraged: "Wow you should go and see it and see the sister service."
(Image: BBC)
Delving into details, he pointed out: "We know it's from Queen Mary's doll's house, because it actually has Queen Mary's cipher written on the plate in gold. That is 22 carat gold.
"And on the back, in absolute minute lettering, it says 'Made by Mintons Ltd.'
"That's incredible, so exactly the same service as this.
"Whether this is a full set I'm not sure but there are 18 plates, I'm sure that's the right number, there's three of these sauce terrines, tiny individually modelled lids.
"There's only one sauce boat but you've got oval platters of various sizes."
The expert revealed that this would have been a duplicate made simultaneously with Queen Mary's, with only about four sets produced in total.
"The quality is incredible, because when you're making a piece of porcelain, it's much more difficult to make it in small size than full size," he observed.
"The detail and the gilding is absolutely marvellous and that's what you'd expect from Queen Mary's doll's house.
"Because as you probably know, a large number of contemporary artists were asked to contribute paintings and writers wrote miniature books for the library, and it was a massive effort by the nation to provide this wonderful house. So it's an important thing."
Gambon humorously questioned the audience about their valuation of one of the porcelain plates.
(Image: BBC)
A member of the audience suggested £100, prompting the expert to respond: "£100! For that? Must be mad."
He continued, revealing: "Well when I tell you that in a sale a few years ago, one of these little terrines with its tiny little cover, made £1,200."
The guest chuckled at the major figure before asking incredulously: "Really?"
Gambon, with a grin, revealed: "I'm going to say that this service is worth £7,000 to £10,000."
The guest was visibly taken aback, gasping before letting out an unusual wheezing sound in delight.
Overjoyed, she exclaimed: "I'm speechless. Really? It's been in a drawer ever since my mother died."
She added with a laugh: "I can hear here my mother up there going 'wahoo!'".
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.