A man who bought a small statue for £5 in a Surrey "junk shop" in the 1970s was left astonished on the latest episode of Antiques Roadshow when a BBC expert valued the piece at between £1,000 and £1,500.
The valuation took place at Stephens House & Gardens in north London, where valuer Lee Young examined a carved lohan, a Buddhist guardian figure, brought in by the guest. The owner said he had found the figure on a high street in Surbiton in the mid-1970s and kept it ever since.
Young told the owner he believed the carving dated from the late 18th century or possibly the 19th century, pointing to the "soapy, softness of the stone" as evidence of age and repeated handling. He described lohans as guardians of the Shakyamuni Buddha who represent stages of enlightenment.
The expert noted that the figure had suffered significant damage: part of an arm was missing and the head had been detached in the past. The guest said the head had been knocked off by his nephew and that he had glued it back on. Young said the damage had nevertheless introduced colour into the stone and did not wholly obscure the piece's craftsmanship.
"Even with the condition he's in, I think that would make £1,000 to £1,500 at auction," Young said, drawing a gasp from the owner, who replied, "I had no idea." The valuer added that with the head intact the figure might command between £2,000 and £3,000, and if the missing arm were recovered and reunited with the carving he estimated a potential value of £3,000 to £4,000.
The segment followed Antiques Roadshow's familiar format of on-site valuations by specialists, a programme that often sees owners learn unexpected monetary or historical significance about objects acquired at modest cost. The episode is available on BBC One and to stream on iPlayer.
The valuation highlights the market for carved East Asian religious figures, where provenance, condition and completeness strongly influence auction prices. In this case, Young emphasised both the piece's age and the visible hand-worn surface as indicators that contributed to his estimate, while noting how restoration or recovered fragments could change its market value.
The guest's reaction reflected the surprise commonly captured on the programme: after hearing the estimate he said he felt "surprised" and "really shocked," repeatedly exclaiming, "I had no idea." Young joked that the owner should "have a word with your nephew" about the lost head, and encouraged the possibility that recovering the missing elements could substantially increase the statue's worth.
Antiques Roadshow continued to draw attention for transforming everyday discoveries into stories about cultural history and collectibles markets, with experts contextualising objects for both owners and viewers.