ANTIQUES Roadshow expert Eric Knowles was left stunned when one guest showed him a perfume bottle from World War One with a raunchy edge.
In the latest episode of BBC Two’s Antique Roadshow, viewers got to see some rather interesting antiques at Scarborough Spa Pavilion, including a paperweight from Winston Churchill‘s desk, and a dazzling tiara worth a jaw-dropping sum.
The perfume bottle has a very distinctive design showing an undressed woman-figure molded into the perfume stopper
The guest explaining to Eric where the unique perfume bottle comes from and who it belongs to
But it was a distinctive perfume bottle that most interested expert Eric Knowles.
Expert Eric, found out that the unique perfume bottle belonged to the guest’s grandfather, who fought in World War One.
The guest began explaining where the bottle came from, saying: “My grandfather, the family joke is that he was responsible for the First World War because everywhere he went there was a major scrap.”
He continued: “He came back with shrapnel in his knee, a liking for strong drink and this scent bottle and that is what history we know.
“We don’t know whether it was new, whether it’s French, [but] he came back from France. So most servers would have come back from France.”
The expert seemed very shocked by this unique-looking perfume bottle and naturally asked the guest where it had been all these years, to which the guest replied: “In a draw.”
The guest then went on to tell the expert how his grandmother refused to have it in the house, so he hid it away in a drawer.
Eric seemed curious to know why this perfume bottle had been kept away for so long, asking: “It begs the question, why?”
The guest replied: “I think just good old-fashioned Yorkshire reserve”.
It was clear that Eric couldn’t keep his eyes off the perfume bottle, adding: “When you look at an object like this, the emphasis is on the stopper, isn’t it?”
Continuing: “And when you look at that stopper, it is beautifully sort of molded with what appeared to be sort of mermaids or ladies dancing away.”
The guest agreed with Eric, and watched as the expert admired the perfume bottle while removing the stopper, unveiling an undressed woman.
The unusual-looking bottle had definitely caught Eric’s attention, holding it up to get a better view, he said: “There is something rather sensual about dabbing perfume behind your ears with a lady in a certain state of undress.”
He then went on to admit how he didn’t know who made the bottle, saying: “But the thing is, you say this came back in 1918, which is quite early,”
“The shape of it is almost geometric, it’s almost like a cog, isn’t it? –
He continued: “Most of these bottles didn’t sort of materialise until the 1920s. So I’m learning something now.”
Not only was Eric shocked, but the viewers seemed to have a lot to say about this perfume bottle too.
One user said: “I can match some of the tales in the Antiques Roadshow. In the late 1990s, I bought a small Art Deco perfume bottle at an antique fair, and about 15 years later discovered it was made by René Lalique.”
Another user also said: “I LOVE this crazy, witchy, goat pulled, cart, perfume bottle, holder thing on Antiques Roadshow”.
One user didn’t seem too impressed with the bottle though, moaning: “When a couple of fools on the Antiques Roadshow think a Gwen Stefani perfume bottle is a Japanese antique”.
The unique perfume bottle, named Lalique blackberry perfume, retails between £800 – £21,000.
The expert explained that it would cost the guest between £100 and £150 to replace the bottle today.
The perfume bottle, named Lalique blackberry perfume, retails between £800 – £21,000
The perfume stopper has a sculpted undressed woman showing on the front of it
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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