BBC Antiques Roadshow guest in disbelief as he finds out 'true' value of sculpture found in garden

An Antiques Roadshow impermanent brought successful a sculpture helium had recovered astatine the bottommost of his plot - and the 'true' worth near him laughing

An Antiques Roadshow impermanent was near grinning from receptor to receptor aft discovering the existent worth of a sculpture helium unearthed successful his garden.

The episode, filmed astatine Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, saw the BBC series' experts conscionable with caller guests and their array of unsocial items, including specializer Adam Schoon.

Right from the start, Schoon expressed his astonishment erstwhile presented with a centuries-old sculpture.

He began by saying: "Well this is 1 of the astir improbable items to ever crook up astatine the Antiques Roadshow.

"It's a fragment of a portion of Hindu creation and a precise aboriginal 1 astatine that. Where did it travel from?"

The impermanent explained: "I was digging successful the backmost garden, we bought a location and it was precise overgrown astatine the back.

"There was loads of bramble and muck. I came crossed this, it was perfectly covered truthful I gave it a bully cleanable -"

Schoon interjected to ask: "What were you feeling, the much it was losing its mud, similar a portion of archaeology?"

The proprietor of the portion replied: "Yeah I accidental [I was] rather excited. And past we conscionable near it by the fireplace and it's got overgarment connected it now, due to the fact that it's been an ornament successful the house."

He admitted that helium had "no idea" wherefore the 12th Century portion was successful his plot but speculated that possibly idiosyncratic who utilized to unrecorded determination "travelled around".

Schoon remarked: "I don't cognize precisely but it leaves a enigma implicit the piece. Let's person a bully look astatine it, due to the fact that the astir salient surviving portion of it is this immense lotus and adjacent to it we person the earring of what would person been a ample deity.

"And due to the fact that of the lotus, I deliberation this indispensable beryllium Surya who is fundamentally [the] prima god. And of course, the lotus comes up from the mud of a pond, arsenic soon arsenic it comes done the blackness and senses the sunlight, it blossoms.

"So you've got these beauteous petal depictions, the earrings are exquisite and the thorax of the fig conscionable shows here, beauteous tresses of hair, wrapped jewels successful them.

"This is rather an important deity successful the Hindu pantheon and flanking the fig are 4 little alleviation figures, each 1 connected its ain small lotus basal which of people agrees with the lotus prima theme.

"But this fig survives beauteous good and look astatine this, wielding an tremendous sword truthful this is 1 of Surya's guardian figures."

When asked if it was a portion of spiritual artwork, Schoon confirmed: "Yes it is, due to the fact that this is the prima god, this would person been successful a Hindu shrine and offerings would person been made to Surya connected a regular ground truthful it's a potent spiritual item."

Wrapping up its value, the adept concluded: "What's it worth? I'm going to accidental £2,000 to £3,000."

The guest's eyes widened earlier helium burst into laughter: "Very nice."

Schoon humorously remarked: "Well, for thing dug up from the garden, it's amended than rhubarb isn't it? ", to which the impermanent agreed and expressed gratitude for the generous valuation.

Antiques Roadshow is disposable to ticker connected BBC One and BBC iPlayer.