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Privacy NoticeAn Antiques Roadshow guest was utterly astonished when his late father’s remarkable historical piece was valued at a jaw-dropping tens of thousands of pounds. During a rerun this week, the BBC show visited Lytham Hall in Lancashire, uncovering some truly intriguing family heirlooms and artefacts. Jon Baddeley, a specialist on the programme, was enthralled by a 130-year-old automaton of a female snake charmer who danced and played music, enchanting dinner party attendees. “It was made in Paris at the end of the 19th Century by a company named Roullet-Decamps,” he explained. “She was obviously called the Snake Charmer. How has it come into your possession?”, reports the Mirror.
The crowd watched in awe as the 130-year-old sculpture danced and played music
(Image: (Image: BBC))
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The item’s owner explained that the mechanical entertainer was a part of his father’s collection of antiques, which he began to amass after retiring. “He’s sadly passed away,” the owner confided. “When he retired he decided to collect things like this. “It’s one of his prized possessions, yeah,” he confirmed, answering Jon’s question. “He had two, this one and the Cambodian Dancer.” Jon went on to say that these automatons were never meant for children’s play. “They were made to entertain adults,” he pointed out. “You can imagine yourself at a dinner party in Paris in the 1890s. You would have had your dinner and then you might have retreated to smoke your cigars and have your brandies. “And there would be something like this. And it would mean they’re simulating reality.” Jon was absolutely captivated by the rarity and intricacy of a particular automaton on the show, suggesting it might have been modelled after a real-life snake charmer, with possibly only 15 left in existence. He was fascinated by its unique features as a fully-formed figure, even hinting that it may have been designed to perform without clothes originally. The crowd was spellbound when the owner demonstrated that the piece was still functional, watching in awe as Jon activated the mechanism, causing the figure to serenade and sway with her trumpet and serpent.
The rare automaton could fetch as much as £80,000 at an auction
(Image: (Image: BBC))
Jon couldn’t get over the detailed craftsmanship, from the way the automaton’s chest appeared to breathe to the delicate fluttering of her eyelashes. “It ticks a lot of boxes,” Jon said excitedly. “It’s probably one of the rarest automatons ever known. It’s all original, it’s in fantastic condition.” However, he tempered expectations about its value, noting that market prices aren’t what they used to be. “But, if you were to sell it at auction today, you’d be looking at somewhere between… well, £60-80,000.” The guest was astounded by the valuation, barely able to utter, “Really?” Overcome with joy, he laughed and thanked Jon profusely after hearing the staggering estimate, exclaiming, “Fabulous. Thank you very much.” Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnAntiques RoadshowBBC
