WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Antiques Roadshow. An Antiques Roadshow guest was beaming from ear to ear as she discovered all there was to know about her nan’s “mysterious” object. Filming at Ebrington Square, Derry, BBC expert Adam Schoon met with a guest who presented him with an unusual wooden object.
He queried: “So what do you think this was used for, this amazing wooden object in your hands?”. “Well, we’ve had lots of different suggestions over the time that I’ve had it. Possibly a carpet beater? Possibly a paddle?” she replied. Looking at the weather, the expert joked: “Which would be useful in this weather to get us home with all the rain?” causing her to laugh.
He went on to admit: “Well, it’s interesting because actually, I don’t really know. “But this comes from a society who never recorded just quite how they used this item, which, indeed, is in the shape of a paddle. Now, where do you think it’s from?”.
She commented: “Well, I think it’s possibly Maori because I think I did see something similar on the Antiques Roadshow a long time ago, and it was Maori, but I don’t know whether this is the same.”. Schoon then clarified that she wasn’t “far off” as the object was really from the Austral Islands, “southwest of Polynesia, but it’s in the Pacific Ocean.”.
He continued: “And the Austral Islands were famous for carving these paddles. But if I can take it from you, it’s considered they’re actually ritual vessels used in some sort of a dance, but we don’t know. “And that is what I personally find really mysterious about these. But look at it, it’s all carved over. It’s got these, the face of the paddle’s got these bands of wriggle work and little sort of repeat triangular motifs.
“Can you imagine the length of time this must have taken to do?”. She remarked: “It’s quite hard, so it would have taken a long time”, with him agreeing: “An awful long time. How did you get it? Is it a family heirloom or what?”. Explaining its provenance, the guest said: “Yes, my nana gave it to me because I moved back home from England to a new house and I had nothing for my walls, so she thought this was a good thing to fit on my wall.”.
“Yeah, well, it’s a beautiful sculptural thing. And what’s unusual is the head of the shaft, and I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed, but there’s two abstract, carved figures”, Schoon commented. The expert pointed out the object's carvings before stating that he believed it was from the 19th Century.
He said: “A lot were made in the sort of 1820s, 1840s and were pretty much trade items. The islanders would be visited by missionaries and traders and whalers, they wanted something to exchange for goods. So let’s give them our ritual paddles.”. “It was like money?” the guest asked before he went on to conclude: “But it’s a shame, we just never know what their purpose was within that society on the Austral Islands.
“So, look, there’s one little problem, there’s a bit of a slice out of the rim there and that will affect the value a little bit. It’s worth £700 to £1,000.”. The guest exclaimed: “Oh!” as her jaw dropped, laughing at the figure. She clutched her chest as she said: “Really? Oh wow! Well done, Nana!.
“That’s a really lovely story. And I never noticed the heads and the figures before on it at all. That’s brilliant, thank you.”. Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Get the biggest TV headlines, recaps and insider knowledge straight to your inbox.
