'Antiques Roadshow' guest left speechless after expert revealed the whopping value of her $100 statue
Guests turning up on "Antiques Roadshow" with artifacts without knowing their value and giving a dramatic or emotional reaction after learning about it from experts is the recurring theme on the show. But there are times when even the experts are caught off guard by the stories of the item's past and how valuable it might become in the future. A guest who bought the item at a garage sale for less than $100 was blown away when it got a six-figure appraisal. But this estimate also fell short since the artifact was auctioned off for millions.
The guest who brought the Early 15th-century Chinese Bodhisattva Gilt Bronze statue didn't expect the item to be worth a lot. "It has gilt, but it's worn off. There's a missing arm. I thought it was so beautiful, I didn't mind the damage," she shared with the expert Robert Waterhouse. She added that she got the item out of pure luck at a garage sale. "There was a local person who was a colorful character in Kirkwood, so I really wanted to get to his garage sale. I rushed out and the dealers had been there for two days before, so I thought everything good would be gone, but when I saw this, I thought it was so beautiful, I just grabbed it," she said.
The appraiser then asked her how much the statue cost. "Probably between $75 and $100, which was a lot for me. It was about 20 years ago," the guest replied. The expert then took over to explain how absurd the amount was, considering the significance of the item. "Well, it is interesting that it was omitted from consideration by the dealers for two days," Waterhouse said. He added that it was a gilt bronze figure, beautifully seated. He explained that it was a "Wenshu, bodhisattva of insight."
"Beautiful drapery, there's ribbon work. Very fine, reticulated hands. Wonderful rope and jewelry work. The rolled fly whisk is beautifully cast, and there is Rubenesque, or a chubby quality to the face, which is indicative of the age and period. It's a beautiful face of compassion," the expert said.
He added that the design was characteristic of very early Buddhist art, dating back to the early 15th century or the early Ming Dynasty period. He explained that the general consensus among the team of experts was that it had a base that was missing, possibly with an imperial inscription.
"The quality of this Buddha is so fine, the age is such a Golden Age of Buddhist art," Waterhouse added. The expert added that the fine quality of bronze is what makes it possibly an imperial item. He confirmed that it was Chinese and that the damage to it is non-consequential as such items are known to be brittle.
"Any idea what it may be worth in today's market after what I've said?" the expert asked the guest. To this she replied that she only paid $100 for it, so she really didn't care. "A very conservative retail price would be $100,000 to $125,000," Waterhouse said, almost knocking the guest off her feet. "Really? Are you really serious? Oh, my goodness. I can't believe it," she said in response.
While the expert gave an astonishing six-figure estimate for the item, it later defied those expectations as well. The statue was featured in a Sotheby’s auction, where it triggered a seven-minute bidding battle, according to Artnet. The item surpassed the pre-sale estimate of $60,000 to $80,000 and was finally sold for a whopping $2.1 million, which was about 20,000 times more than what the guest had paid for it.
