Kept under the stairs for decades—turns out this old bowl was worth $7,700!
- Replies 0
A man kept a mysterious, ‘scary’ bowl hidden under the stairs for years—never realising it could be worth thousands.
Another woman brought in a heavy tribal object that looked more like a weapon than a family heirloom.
What happened next left both Antiques Roadshow guests speechless.
One Antiques Roadshow guest was stunned to discover the hefty price tag attached to a peculiar metal bowl passed down from his grandfather.
The segment, filmed in 2015 but recently resurfaced, featured expert Duncan Campbell examining the antique on the BBC series.
The man explained that the bowl had been in his family for generations and was inherited from his grandfather, who served in the army during the 1890s in the North West frontier—now part of modern-day Pakistan.
‘It was my grandfather’s,’ he said. ‘It’s been handed down to me from my grandfather who was in army in the North West frontier in the 1890s. So we think that’s where he got it, in the area which is now sort of North West Pakistan.’
The owner admitted he had stored the bowl ‘under the stairs’ for years and described it as ‘attractive in a scary sort of way’.
Duncan quickly identified it as a Kashmiri item, enthusiastically noting: ‘I can tell you exactly where it comes from. It’s covered in local symbols. It comes from Kashmir.’
He pointed out intricate designs, including depictions of local flora, and explained that the piece was based on a ‘begging bowl’ traditionally carried by dervish monks.
‘It’s a popular shape that was used by the local craftsmen to turn into all sorts of things, for example your lovely centrepiece, which is not ever intended to be sold to a Kashmiri, it was always expected to be sold to a foreigner,’ he said.
Campbell praised the item’s craftsmanship and impressive scale, estimating it was made around 1890.
‘This is not only skillful work but a really nice looking object, it has some considerable value too. It would cost you somewhere around the £4,000 mark [approx. $7,700 AUD].’
‘Oh, right. That’s more than I was thinking, thank you very much,’ the visibly surprised guest replied.
In another resurfaced clip, presenter Fiona Bruce and the team travelled to the Scarborough Grand Spa Hall for a 2016 episode, where another jaw-dropping moment occurred.
Expert Ronnie Archer Morgan met a woman who had brought in a Polynesian weapon-like artefact that had been passed down through her family.
Ronnie quipped: ‘What’s a feminine person like you doing with a big, heavy, aggressive thing like this?’
The woman explained: ‘Well, it belongs to my dad actually, it’s not mine, and it was passed down to him by his dad who acquired it through some elderly spinster ladies who gave it to him. He was a solicitor in Scarborough town so that’s how but I don’t know anything more.’
Despite the uncertain origins, Ronnie was awestruck by the quality of the item, calling it ‘absolutely superb’.
‘It’s a Fijian Bulibuli and this is a thing of rare beauty. It is really what us collectors look for. This is the best I’ve ever seen.’
The weapon, with its textbook design and carved studs, was described as something highly sought-after in international antique circles.
‘The market for this sort of thing is more in Paris or in Brussels and in New York. But they get very excited and they’ve got galleries that deal in this sort of stuff and a nice one of these would probably be £8,000 to £10,000 [approx. $15,400 to $19,200 AUD].’
He added: ‘This, I would stick my neck out and say if you had to buy this from the Sablon [antiques market] in Brussels, I think it would cost you between £30,000 and maybe £35,000 [approx. $57,700 to $67,300 AUD]. I really think it could make that.’
The woman gasped: ‘Wow! That’s amazing!’
Antiques Roadshow airs on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer.
If a forgotten bowl under the stairs can turn out to be worth thousands, it raises the question—what else might be hiding in plain sight?
With living costs climbing and unexpected windfalls more welcome than ever, now might be the perfect time to take a second look at the items tucked away in your cupboards.
Here’s another story that explores how old treasures could offer more than just sentimental value.
Read more: Antiques and collectibles: The unexpected 'safety net' in times of rising living costs
How many family treasures are hiding in plain sight—waiting to reveal their true value?
Another woman brought in a heavy tribal object that looked more like a weapon than a family heirloom.
What happened next left both Antiques Roadshow guests speechless.
One Antiques Roadshow guest was stunned to discover the hefty price tag attached to a peculiar metal bowl passed down from his grandfather.
The segment, filmed in 2015 but recently resurfaced, featured expert Duncan Campbell examining the antique on the BBC series.
The man explained that the bowl had been in his family for generations and was inherited from his grandfather, who served in the army during the 1890s in the North West frontier—now part of modern-day Pakistan.
Forgotten family bowl worth thousands, expert says. Image source: Antiques Roadshow
‘It was my grandfather’s,’ he said. ‘It’s been handed down to me from my grandfather who was in army in the North West frontier in the 1890s. So we think that’s where he got it, in the area which is now sort of North West Pakistan.’
The owner admitted he had stored the bowl ‘under the stairs’ for years and described it as ‘attractive in a scary sort of way’.
Duncan quickly identified it as a Kashmiri item, enthusiastically noting: ‘I can tell you exactly where it comes from. It’s covered in local symbols. It comes from Kashmir.’
He pointed out intricate designs, including depictions of local flora, and explained that the piece was based on a ‘begging bowl’ traditionally carried by dervish monks.
‘It’s a popular shape that was used by the local craftsmen to turn into all sorts of things, for example your lovely centrepiece, which is not ever intended to be sold to a Kashmiri, it was always expected to be sold to a foreigner,’ he said.
Campbell praised the item’s craftsmanship and impressive scale, estimating it was made around 1890.
‘This is not only skillful work but a really nice looking object, it has some considerable value too. It would cost you somewhere around the £4,000 mark [approx. $7,700 AUD].’
‘Oh, right. That’s more than I was thinking, thank you very much,’ the visibly surprised guest replied.
In another resurfaced clip, presenter Fiona Bruce and the team travelled to the Scarborough Grand Spa Hall for a 2016 episode, where another jaw-dropping moment occurred.
Expert Ronnie Archer Morgan met a woman who had brought in a Polynesian weapon-like artefact that had been passed down through her family.
Ronnie quipped: ‘What’s a feminine person like you doing with a big, heavy, aggressive thing like this?’
The woman explained: ‘Well, it belongs to my dad actually, it’s not mine, and it was passed down to him by his dad who acquired it through some elderly spinster ladies who gave it to him. He was a solicitor in Scarborough town so that’s how but I don’t know anything more.’
Despite the uncertain origins, Ronnie was awestruck by the quality of the item, calling it ‘absolutely superb’.
‘It’s a Fijian Bulibuli and this is a thing of rare beauty. It is really what us collectors look for. This is the best I’ve ever seen.’
The weapon, with its textbook design and carved studs, was described as something highly sought-after in international antique circles.
‘The market for this sort of thing is more in Paris or in Brussels and in New York. But they get very excited and they’ve got galleries that deal in this sort of stuff and a nice one of these would probably be £8,000 to £10,000 [approx. $15,400 to $19,200 AUD].’
He added: ‘This, I would stick my neck out and say if you had to buy this from the Sablon [antiques market] in Brussels, I think it would cost you between £30,000 and maybe £35,000 [approx. $57,700 to $67,300 AUD]. I really think it could make that.’
The woman gasped: ‘Wow! That’s amazing!’
Antiques Roadshow airs on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer.
If a forgotten bowl under the stairs can turn out to be worth thousands, it raises the question—what else might be hiding in plain sight?
With living costs climbing and unexpected windfalls more welcome than ever, now might be the perfect time to take a second look at the items tucked away in your cupboards.
Here’s another story that explores how old treasures could offer more than just sentimental value.
Read more: Antiques and collectibles: The unexpected 'safety net' in times of rising living costs
How many family treasures are hiding in plain sight—waiting to reveal their true value?
