aN Antiques Roadshow expert was thrilled when a guest showed him a stunning bird cage that she had inherited from her husband’s family – and, unbeknown to her, it was worth thousands.
WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Antiques Roadshow.
An Antiques Roadshow guest could only whisper “gosh” as they discovered the eye-watering worth of a birdcage passed down through the family.
BBC’s Antiques aficionado Lennox Cato was part of the expert crew descending upon Helmingham Hall, where a woman brought in a rather extraordinary birdcage.
Cato couldn’t help but express his amazement: “So we have this wonderful, almost exotic looking bird cage.”
Curious about its history, he probed the guest who shared: “Well it was inherited by my husband from his family who lived in Suffolk but I’m afraid he doesn’t know anymore than that.
“He doesn’t know where they got it from, I’m sure they inherited it but I don’t know who from.”
Cato, suspecting the cage to be a British creation dating back to 1790-1800, enthused: “The colours, well, they’re just amazing. I love the idea, looking from the top and working down.
“Even the little finials carved here and these baubles hanging are bone to signify it’s a bird cage.
“And then we have this tiny bird set within this delightful oval. The bars themselves are brass but have been treated to appear black,” he explained.
He even noted a coat of arms gracing the front, but the owner admitted: “I’m afraid we’ve never looked into who that is.”
Delving deeper into the piece’s features, Cato showcased how it operated, pointing out an endearing “dove of peace” figure used to secure the miniature doors.
He detailed further: “And then we have the little feeding drawers left and right and on the lower section, you can turn these round and we have a little tray for cleaning.
“This is what we call parquetry work, little pieces of wood, nicely simulated, to form patterns.
“Let me just spin it around to show everyone just how nice it is.”
Cato went on to explain that the antique was crafted from a blend of maple, padauk, and ebony before moving towards his conclusion.
He expressed: “All the years I’ve been dealing, I’ve seen a number of bird cages but I’ve never seen a bird cage as interesting and as beautiful as this.
“This to me, wow, it breaks all the rules. And I think if you saw this for sale, it could quite easily cost you £15,000.”
Despite the astonishing valuation, the guest appeared to react with muted surprise, barely whispering “gosh”, before Cato happily concluded: “It’s a jolly good thing.”
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.