'Antiques Roadshow' guest left viewers gasping as they spot a creepy detail in a 19th-century doll

"Antiques Roadshow" has emerged as a platform that allows people to share rare treasures as well as family heirlooms with the world while learning about their history and the true value of their cherished items. While some items inspire wonder and awe, some are known to give viewers the creeps. One such item was a 19th-century doll made in France that has stood the test of time. It was brought to antique specialist Billye Harris in New Orleans during an episode of the show, and he was both intrigued and creeped out by its history.

While dolls are one of the most popular toys for children to play with, they’ve also been widely depicted as conduits of evil spirits in horror movie franchises. The most popular one in recent times is Anabelle from "The Conjuring" movie series. The 19th-century doll brought to the show in particular bears a slight resemblance to the one shown in the movies. But that does not mean the owners would not get a substantial amount if they decided to sell it.

According to Harris, the near-mint condition of the French porcelain doll, made in the year 1880 by Leon Casimir Bru, makes it worth somewhere between $12,000 and $14,000. Being more than a century old definitely makes it a prized possession and the “French Circle Dot Bru doll” had been made to look realistic thanks to its curved and bulged-out glass eyes. At the time, Bru was known for making some of the best products in the market.

Such dolls were not out unusual where the owner was raised. Speaking to Harris, he explained that his mother would collect such dolls and try to replicate the art on her own. This blew the antique expert away who expressed awe over how the guest’s house must have looked like when he was growing up. It’s safe to assume that it looked like the set of a horror movie with miniature artificial body parts lying everywhere.

"She would actually teach doll making, my dad would pour the molds. We had a kiln in the backyard and eyeballs in all kinds of drawers and all the body parts laying all over the place," he explained. Harris let her imagination take over and suggested that the house must have looked like “Frankenstein’s studio” according to OK!

The clip drew several viewers on YouTube who could not help but speak about the creepy nature of the object. "I saw the horror in his eyes recanting the scene of plastic limbs & eyes scattered everywhere," one user commented. "Utterly terrifying, it's only survived this long by eating souls," penned another.

Nevertheless, the Bru doll is a treasure of the past of should be treated as such. The big bulging eyes give it a horror movie-esque vibe but back in the day, it was perfectly normal for dolls to look that way. Today, such dolls are considered priceless by several collectors who would not flinch at paying a substantial price to have them in their collection.