‘Awful’: Truth about rare Antiques Roadshow item stuns guest

An Antiques Roadshow expert left a guest stunned as he explained the problematic history of an extremely rare object.

An Antiques Roadshow expert left a guest stunned when he refused to provide a valuation for a rare item.

The expert dubbed the item “awful” as he explained why he did not want to evaluate it.

The unusual incident happened in a show aired recently when expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan was handed an ivory bangle.

Ivory is itself problematic as the illegal animal parts trade has threatened species with extinction. But there was something worse about the item in question.

Expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan refused to value a rare item. Picture: BBC

Mr Archer-Morgan explained: “I want to make it absolutely clear that myself and we in the Antiques Roadshow wholly, unequivocally disapprove of the trade in ivory.

“But this ivory bangle here, it’s not about trading in ivory, it’s about trading in human life.

“It’s probably one of the most difficult things that I’ve ever had to talk about, but talk about it we must.

“This is an amazing object and a testament to the callous trade that went on in the 17th, 18th, and 19th century,” he said, The Sun reported.

The guest had no idea about the history of the object. Picture: BBC

The ivory object was also connected to the slave trade. Picture: BBC

The guest responded: “I had no idea what it was, there was something about it and now I am researching it.

“It said traders and I thought it meant trading in coffee or spices and then I realised it was trading in people.”

Mr Archer-Morgan explained that the object was extremely rare, with only about six in existence.

“It’s extraordinary,” he said.

“It is living proof in a way, the surviving proof that this awful trade went on.”

He detailed his family’s historical connection to slavery: “My great-grandmother was a returned slave from Nova Scotia in Canada and came back to Sierra Leone and I actually think it’s my cultural duty, our cultural duty to talk about things like this. I just don’t want to value it.

“I do not want to put a price on something that signifies such an awful business, but the value is in the lessons that this can tell people.

“The value is in researching this and what we can find out and I just love you for bringing it to the Roadshow and thank you so much for making me so sad.”

- with The Sun