'Antiques Roadshow' expert notices a hidden detail in family artwork — then guest says it's not for sale
"Antiques Roadshow" is a platform where people find the monetary value of items connected to their loved ones, which already have great sentimental value. But with history, sometimes stories behind heirlooms reveal something more than their price. In one such instance, a guest who brought his great-grandmother's embroidery artwork found out about a hidden message in it. He then refused to sell the item despite a decent appraisal of £200 (~$263) from the show's expert, Elaine Binning.
The guest shared that the framed embroidery artwork was created by his great-grandmother, and it was passed down to him as a present. "It was given to us as a wedding present by my grandfather's sister," the owner told Binning. Looking at the condition of the item, Binning suspected that the artwork must have been stowed away for decades. "I'm looking at the gorgeous colours of this sampler, and I'm imagining it's not often out in the sunshine like this," she said. The guest confirmed that the painting had been kept in the coal shed of his grandfather's sister before she gifted it to them. He further shared that it was made when his great-grandmother was 12, in about 1880. "Well, I can't think of a nicer wedding gift," Binning exclaimed.
She further shared that the item didn't look like it had been in a coal shed, as it was in pristine condition. "And this is made with wool, stitched on a canvas ground, and samplers like this were made by young girls all around the country, just like your great-grandmother. They tended to follow the same conventions. So a fruit-filler urn, flower sprays. Most of all, perhaps, this meandering floral border," Binning explained.
When she asked the guest about anything that stood out in the artwork, he noted that there was a change in color in one section. "She must have run out of brown wool here, sort of started back up in red for that little bit," he said. The expert noted that it was a brilliant detail that tells a story in itself.
"The other thing is the inscription at the bottom, which doesn't stand out very well in this light," he continued. The guest explained that the inscription could be read in the right lighting, and it was a verse from the Bible written in Welsh. He read the verse out loud and then explained its meaning as well. "It translates into 'be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life, and then it says 'amen, remember,'" he explained. "How brilliant!" Binning gushed. The expert also noted that the creator had woven her initials, "Janet Williams," into the border of the artwork as well.
Coming to the appraisal, Binning estimated that the artwork could sell for around £200 (~$263) at an auction. However, it didn't matter to the guest who had made up his mind about never selling the item and keeping it in the family. "Well, the value isn't important to me, it's part of our family history," he said in the end, as seen in the video here.
