Artificial autographs, imposter urns, and bootleg bowls are just some of the skilled
fakeries and forgeries that unsuspecting guests have brought to Antiques Roadshow over the years
A guest on a 2005 episode of Antiques Roadshow on PBS was hoping that the large stone sculpture
his parents kept as a poolside decoration was a piece of ancient Mesoamerican art
The guests claimed that testing showed that it hadn't been made with the help of modern tools, but appraiser John Buxton only had to take one look at the piece to shoot down any hopes that
it was an ancient and highly valuable example of Olmec art. Olmec art, produced in the Gulf
coast region of Mexico between 1200 BC and 400 BC is highly regarded for its fine detail in use of
jade, volcanic basalt, and skillfully crafted ceramics. The most famous examples of Olmec art
are astoundingly large carved heads, many of which were crafted in San Lorenzo, in what is now the
state of Veracruz. Unfortunately, when it came to style, this carving was little more than a dud
And stylistically, this is not even close to what Olmec should be
Buxton went on to say that the piece lacked the balance that an Olmec figure should have
While he appraised the piece for up to $2,500 as decorative art, he delivered one more blow
He told the owner that, if it had really been Olmec, it would have been worth hundreds of
thousands of dollars. At first, things must have looked just fine during an episode of Antiques Roadshow filmed
in Charleston, South Carolina in 2015. Appraiser Wes Cowan told the guests that he had a small art piece that had been painted
by folk artist Jacob Weber. For a random discovery in an antique shop, the little wooden box was potentially an incredible
find — especially considering the man's grandfather had paid $1,000 for the piece
appraised it for $10,000 to $15,000, but things took a turn for this particular box after the
episode aired in early 2016. Another antiques dealer saw the piece and contacted Cowan
telling him that the hinges were wrong, and other boxes by Weber had projecting bases
not ones that were even with the sides. PBS published a correction, including the box's
new value, a mere $100 to $150. To be fair, this outlandish, grotesque jug represents a case of
mistaken identity more than outright fakery, but it remains one of the most interesting missteps
made by an antiques roadshow appraiser. Seen in a January 2016 episode, the ceramic vessel sports a
variety of twisted faces, a stitched-up shot-of-eye, and other distorted features. Appraiser Stephen L
Fletcher said that he believed it was from the late 19th to early 20th century, and part of a
grotesque-faced jug tradition from around the mid-Atlantic states. Fletcher appraised the jug
at an incredible value. "...Somebody might well ask in the area between $30,000 and $50,000 for this.
But soon after the episode aired, a viewer sent in a tip that the jug was actually made by her
friend Betsy Sewell, who confirmed that she had made it while in high school in the 1970s
The vessel's newly appraised value plummeted to $3,000 to $5,000. At least
Fletcher remained highly complimentary toward Sewell's work. Surprisingly enough, Alvin Barr, the guest who brought the jug to the show
was also relieved when its value dropped, telling the Bulletin, "...I hated it when it was $30,000 to $50,000. Because who wants $30,000 to $50,000 lying around
their house?" Blockfront cabinets are linked to Boston Furniture Craftsman beginning in the mid-1700s
who created the curving forms of the furniture as a way to appeal to the taste of upper-class
clientele. The style not only required solid pieces of wood, but also extra time and a high
level of skill. A guest who appeared on Antiques Roadshow in 2013 believed they had just such a
piece of finely crafted furniture, but appraiser Leslie Kino had to break the difficult truth
The chest was a fake. While the initial shape and fixture seemed right, Kino pointed out a series
of increasingly suspicious flaws. The dovetail joints and other segments of the interior were
to mimic the oxidation that would be seen on genuinely old wood The same effect was spotted along the bottom of the cabinet and whoever had made the fake had used poplar as a secondary wood Real Boston furniture makers would have used white pine instead Kino said that a real block front chest would have brought
in up to $75,000 for an especially nice one. The fake? Just $3,000 to $5,000. At least it was
enough for the guests to break even. John Buxton seems to have encountered quite a few fakes in his
time on Antiques Roadshow. On a 2016 episode, he spoke with a guest who hoped that the small vessel
he brought in was from the pre-Columbian history of the Tirona people. The guest even brought along
documents purporting to authenticate the ceramic bowl, which included four finely made animal
figures on the rim and a human figure in the vessel itself. While Buxton was complimentary
toward the artistry of the bowl, he wasn't so keen on its historic pedigree. The figures were
a bit odd for the established artistic tradition of the Tirona, for one
The other thing, you hear I tap that? When you hear that, it's a very high ring
Buxton noted that the high pitch of the noise would be difficult to achieve if the piece had
been fired authentically in a low-temperature, old-school pit kiln. The condition of the clay
instead hinted that it had been fired in a modern, much hotter electric kiln
with an appraised value of just $300 at the most. The poor guest was out a hefty chunk of money from
his original $1,800 purchase. The May 2021 episode of the BBC's Antiques Roadshow at Stoner Park
included an intriguing silver box. Though it was small and relatively plain, it contained an
inscription that read, The Gift of Stella to Dean Swift. As appraiser Mark Allum clarified
the Swift in question was 18th-century writer Jonathan Swift, author of the 1726-story Gulliver's
Travels. Swift was close friends with Esther Johnson, the daughter of a housekeeper who later
came to be called Stella, and who was purported to be Swift's muse, and perhaps even his secret
wife. That makes for an interesting backstory that could boost the value of the box, if only
it were genuine. As Allum pointed out, the box was made out of a material known as Sheffield plate
which first hit the scene in 1743. Stella had died in 1728, making the inscription impossible
A closer inspection revealed that the inscription was stamped, not engraved. The guest took the news that it was only worth about 40 pounds at most pretty well
saying she was glad for the opportunity anyhow. The guest who brought what appeared to be a buffalo robe to Antiques Roadshow said she
had purchased it from a handyman who had helped redecorate her mountain home. The robe had allegedly been sitting in storage for three decades and cost the guest $300
Appraiser John Buxton said that the art form of the painted buffalo skin was an important part to
Plains Indian culture, who used preserved buffalo skins as canvases to make decorative pieces and
also create records of important events. However, Buxton started to note several issues with the
piece in front of him. It had what first looked to be an authentic design, including a series of
holes on the edge that would have been made by stakes people set to stretch the skin during the
tanning process. However, the repairs he spotted on the robe were stitched with cotton thread
not authentic sinew sourced from the buffalo. The hide also appeared to have been tanned using more
modern techniques instead of traditional brain tanning. As a decorative piece, it was appraised
at $1,000 to $2,000, so at least the guest was able to easily make back her initial investment
On the BBC version of Antiques Roadshow, appraiser Ronnie Archer Morgan was intrigued by what first
appeared to be a guardian figure made by a Koda craftsperson. They influence the greatest modern artists of all time. They are very, very sought after
The figures were originally crafted to embody the power and spirit of the ancestors, and
were originally found in association with family remains stored in baskets or bark containers
beneath the figure. Then Archer Morgan breaks the bad news While the art piece was very nice it wasn quite the correct size and it was likely made in 1980 a far cry from authentic pieces from the 19th and early 20th centuries However it wasn all doom and gloom Archer Morgan gave the figure a value of 150 pounds which represented a pretty good deal considering
the guest originally paid just one and a half pounds for the figure. And given the fraught
history of artwork and objects that had been taken from African people without permission, it may be just as well that this wasn't genuine after all
The vase that appeared on a 2011 episode of Antiques Roadshow may not have seemed like much
but the clean lines and dark green glaze of the piece indicated that it might have been a valuable Tico vase. The Tico Pottery Company produced decorative pieces between 1902 and 1929
and became known for matte glazes and green hues, sometimes applied to pieces that towered
more than seven feet. But was this much smaller vase the real deal? So, give me the news
All right. It's not good. According to appraiser Suzanne Perro, it wasn't. The glaze wasn't the right shade of Tico Green
and she also noted that it was a bit too heavy and sported red clay and ridges that weren't
characteristic of genuine Tycho pieces. She noted that real Tycho vessels were typically cast and
not thrown on a pottery wheel, a more hands-on technique that may explain the unusual ridges
Perrault estimated it was made recently and was worth about $200. The buyer had paid over $1,400
Beetlemania is a regular presence on Antiques Roadshow, so it was no surprise when two sisters
appeared with their collection of Beatles photos and papers on a 2021 episode of the British Antiques
Roadshow, but unfortunately, one signed picture of the Fab Four proved troublesome
Expert John Foster noted that an odd stiffness to the signatures didn't make sense
The young superstars had signed their names countless times at that point in their careers
The signatures were more likely made by one of the band's employees, who were known to
sign memorabilia in an attempt to ease the overwhelming demands set by fans
Compared to more fluid signatures that were confirmed to come from the band members, the
difference between those and the fake was all the more obvious. Thankfully, the fake signatures weren't the only thing they brought
Her father, a stuntman, had left them an impressive collection of Beatles and Vimera that still
held some welcome surprises. The back of a call sheet from the 1965 film Help contained what appeared to be genuine
signatures of all four band members. With this discovery, Foster appraised the whole collection at a very respectable 5,000 pounds
If appraiser Andy McConnell had been holding a real Islamic glass cup, it would have been
one of the most exciting finds in the history of Antiques Roadshow. Islamic glassmakers rightfully earned high praise for their work, creating finely wrought
colorful glass pieces beginning around the 7th century in Egypt and nearby parts of Asia
With its carved text and figures, the vessel certainly looked worn enough to have been around
for 1,000 years. Unfortunately, McConnell said that the engraved marks were made with acid
a much more modern glassmaking technique. If the shape of a fish and Arabic text had really been
ground into the glass centuries ago, artisans would have left behind tool marks. McConnell
generously gave the piece a value of 800 quid, which was the price the guest actually paid for it
perhaps mitigating some of his obvious disappointment at having to tell the guest in front of a crowd that it was far from genuine. He also left the door open for mistakes
saying the man should consult with experts at the British Museum just in case
And if I'm wrong, come back and kick me. Please! You don't have to be a professional antiques appraiser to know that Tiffany Glass is big
business. American designer Louis Comfort Tiffany built his artistic reputation on intricate glassworks, establishing a studio full of fellow creatives that made Tiffany
a legendary name in the world of design. So when a guest brought a signature opalescent glass vase and paperweight to Antiques Roadshow
in Richmond, Virginia, it wasn't unreasonable to think that she had something truly special
But appraiser Barbara Deesroth quickly moved to deflate any unrealistic hopes They trying to be glass by Lewis Comfort Tiffany made at the turn of the century In fact they not Though the pieces were signed the signatures appeared to be fake and were deemed too clunky
by Diesroth to be genuine. The paperweight, which Tiffany never made in the style seen on the show, was worth $30
The vase was about $200 in value. By the 19th century, the French Sivre Porcelain Factory had established itself as a major
manufacturer of trendy porcelain pieces that landed in well-heeled homes across the continent
and they remain a popular porcelain manufacturer to this day. Collectors are especially interested
in antique examples from this company, like its elaborate service sets. So it's no surprise that
so many factories applied fake civ remarks to inferior pieces. The guest on a Season 7 episode
of Antiques Roadshow filmed in Kansas City presented just such a box, as well as an urn
that was purportedly made at the Ludwigsberg Porcelain Factory, another producer of fine
pottery based in Germany during the 1700s. But when appraiser David Lackey took a look at both
pieces, he found some serious issues. Though both pieces were pictured and described in an auction
catalog and were very finely painted, they weren't genuine, according to Lackey. The manufacturer's
marks were the main tell, as they just weren't right. Even with the fake marks, the guest was
told he could get anywhere from $2,500 to $3,750 for the set. The guest who presented a presumed
Chalkway dance mask on a 2018 episode came into possession of the piece after a series of trades
back and forth amongst aficionados of African art. A friend of mine from Fairview Heights bought it
He paid like $3,900 for it." The Chakwe people are well known for the mastery of many different art forms, including wood
mask cartons. Traditionally, masks used in rituals and dances are made with distinct forms that often include
markings engraved on the mask's cheeks and forehead, and fiber elements such as raffia
But back on Antiques Roadshow, appraiser John Buxton found some serious issues
When Buxton turned the mask around, he found that the holes where the raffia might have been affixed were oddly free of wear, which was unusual for a mask that should have been used
during an energetic dance. The interior of the mask also didn't have the marks one would expect
from something that came into contact with a sweaty human face. Buxton ultimately concluded
that it was an intentional fake, making it worth just $200 to $300
So this is really made to fool you. Compared to the six figures that a real Chalkway mask could get on the art market
it was likely a genuine disappointment to the guest. Pottery from ancient China can easily become the centerpiece of someone's collection
But the vases presented on a 2001 episode of Antiques Roadshow filmed in Miami weren't
what they appeared to be. Appraiser James Callahan said that at least one of the vases
had the look of a Tong Dynasty vessel. Spanning 618 to 907 AD, the Tong Dynasty saw ceramic
artists innovate the use of glazes, bringing new colors to China's pottery. Over on Antiques Roadshow
however, the vessels were pretty suspect. The buyer revealed that she bought them at a market in China
He did tell us that they had just recently been excavated. Well, in actuality, they weren't. They were brand new
Callahan took a small tool and gently scraped the top of one piece, leaving behind a mark
If the vase in question were made of hard jade, that scratch would never have been made
meaning the vessel was likely made out of a softer soapstone or similar rock
The piece also included components made from aluminum, a material that wasn't put into common
usage until well into the 19th century. The other, smaller vase was at least made out of ceramic
Though the tong-style metal piece that had been applied to it was not gold, but a cheaper
anodized metal. While she didn't specify how much she and her husband had paid for the pieces
hopefully it wasn't much. Callahan gave them a value of just $10 to $20 each