One expert was left red-faced after incorrectly appraising a jug more than £30,000 over its real estimate. The antiques weekend show is loved up and down the country and quickly became a mainstay following its debut in 1979. The show has since spawned several versions of the show across the globe, including America and Australia.
Back in 2016, viewers across the pond watched on as guest Alvin Barr brought in a jug to the long-running show which was filmed in the heart of Spokane, Washington. The appraiser then proceeded to analyse the striking piece of artwork, which he described as a "grotesque face jug."
The guest, who hails from South Carolina, revealed that he purchased the item for $300 (£231) after it caught his eye at a sale in Oregon. He told the expert: "It was up in a barn. It was covered with dirt and straw.
"Looked like some chicken droppings were on it. It was very dirty. I had to have it. It speaks to me." As Stephen looked over the piece, he revealed that the jug could have been inspired by one of the most infamous artists of the 19th century.
He told him: "When we look at the base clay, it's red ware, and the potter has used an impressive array of techniques to come up with this extraordinary texture. This, in its own way, is really over the top.
"It's bizarre and wonderful. You even see a little bit of, like, Pablo Picasso going on here. It's a little difficult to identify precisely when this was made, but I think it's probably late 19th or early 20th century".
The antiques specialist then went on to add that the object probably originated from one of the American coasts, most likely "Middle Atlantic states headed southward."
Although Stephen explained that it was "a little difficult" to estimate the value, he put the sculpture's work at between $30,000 - $50,000 (£23,100 - £38,500). His estimation left Alvin stunned, and admitted that he felt he had originally paid too much for it.
Stephen insisted: "I've never seen anything quite like it, ever, and I've been doing this for 20 years." But things soon took an unexpected turn when the episode hit the airwaves later that year.
Despite the impressive valuation, it later emerged that the antiques expert had got it very wrong. A woman who was watching the show recognised the "grotesque face jug" as a sculpture made by her friend, Betsy Soule, back in the 1970s.
She contacted the programme to let them know about the major error, explaining that Betsy had made the piece during a ceramics class when she was in high school around 1973 or 1974.
The US broadcaster PBS has since updated the details on the American Antiques Roadshow site and revalued the item between $3,000 and $5,000 (£2,300 and £3,850).
Months later, Stephen opened up about the gaffe, telling The Guardian: "This example, with its six grotesque faces, was modelled or sculpted with considerable imagination, virtuosity, and technical competence.
"Obviously, I was mistaken as to its age range by 60 to 80 years. I feel the valuation at auction, based on its quality and artistic merit, is in the $3,000 to $5,000 range. Still, not bad for a high schooler in Oregon."
