BBC Antiques Roadshow guest pulls face as grandfather's 'scary' item worth small fortune

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Antiques Roadshow.

An Antiques Roadshow guest's eyebrows shot up when he discovered the staggering value of a bowl that had been gathering dust under the stairs for years.

The BBC favourite pitched up at Tredegar House in Wales, where expert Duncan Campbell was on hand to delve into a trove of treasures, including a "scary" bowl that caught everyone's attention.

Campbell quizzed the owner: "Poisonous snakes aren't everyone's cup of tea so how do you feel about having a festival of snakes on your dining room table? Or do you not keep it on your dining table?"

To which the guest responded: "We don't keep it on the dining table no, we keep it under the stairs actually but now that I've seen it out again, it's a while since I've seen it out, it's actually quite attractive in a scary sort of way, isn't it?"

Admitting its long-hidden status, the owner added: "I think it was put away, because we can't really decide what to do with it."

Curious about its origins, the guest recounted: "It was my grandfather's, it's been handed down to me from my grandfather who was in the army in the North West Frontier in the 1890s.

"And we think that's where he got it, that sort of area which is now sort of North West Pakistan, isn't it?"

Campbell then revealed the true provenance of the piece, informing the guest that it hailed from Kashmir and was adorned with "local symbols".

He went on: "And you've got Kashmiri or local leaves, you've got Chinar leaves, coriander leaves and all of this flora and fauna, poking its head out and rearing up in a very sort of aggressive looking way.

"The bowl itself is based on what's called a kashkul which is a begging bowl which the [whirling] Dervish monks used to carry who collect arms from the locals.

"It's a popular shape that was used by the local craftsman to turn into all sorts of things, for example, your lovely centre piece which was never intended to be sold to a Kashmiri, this was always expected to be sold to a foreigner.

"It's a wonderful item, it's much bigger than what Kashmiri silver is, it's on a very grand scale.

"And as far as date of manufacture goes, this is going to be about 1890 and the market for what's essentially Islamic metal work, has grown and grown in recent years.

"This is not only skillful work but a really nice looking object. It has some considerable value too."

Upon hearing hints of a substantial valuation, the owner's expression shifted dramatically, his eyebrows shooting upwards as he exclaimed: "Oh. Right."

Campbell then disclosed the figure: "It would cost you about, somewhere around £4,000 mark."

Breaking into a delighted grin, the guest responded: "Oh. Right. That's more than what I was thinking. Thank you very much. Brilliant!".

Campbell concluded warmly: "Not at all. A nice thing to be left," whilst the thrilled owner declared: "What a result."

In response to a playful query about whether he'd now display the bowl more prominently, the guest chuckled: "I think it will. Get some bananas to put in it."

Antiques Roadshow can be viewed on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.