Country House Auction S01E01 (2024)
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TVTranscript
00:00Deep in the heart of Ireland, surrounded by rich and rolling countryside, lies the idyllic
00:09village of Durrow.
00:15It's here Tessa and Robin own the 300-year-old Castle Durrow.
00:24Owning a stately pile with 48 bedrooms and 50 acres of land is no mean feat.
00:34To own its keep, the castle hosts all kinds of occasions, including one of Ireland's finest
00:41antique auctions, the Country House Auction.
00:54Castle treasures are curated by world-renowned auctioneers.
00:58This is made of meteorite.
01:00Wow.
01:01I was not expecting that.
01:03Stories are unearthed.
01:05Jonathan Swift maybe learned how to play cards in this very room we're in.
01:09Rare finds are revealed.
01:14Valuations are made.
01:16This watch is worth close to 200,000.
01:19What?
01:20400?
01:21And nail-biting bidding unfolds.
01:23Sold at 12,000, 30,000 a bit, about 60,000, about 100,000.
01:29I've got the pitting cushion.
01:31Magic.
01:32Welcome to the Country House Auction.
01:38Today...
01:39You don't need a gym around here.
01:45We have to sell everything that comes in here.
01:47Diamonds are a girl's best friend.
01:50They're so alive, they're all dancing together.
01:52It's beautiful.
01:53A rocking guitar attracts high rollers.
01:55Do I have to say the figure?
01:57600 now.
01:58600.
01:59And an incredible treasure exceeds everyone's expectations.
02:0324,000, 26,000.
02:09A new chapter is unfolding in 18th-century Castle Durrow.
02:23Owners Tessa and Robin are making some bold changes in the place they call home.
02:31The couple work round the clock to keep this castle in the finest fettle.
02:36And turn their hands to the land, too.
02:39I need to poo now, I can't stop.
02:43Because the mint is super strong.
02:44Yeah, no, it is.
02:46Wow.
02:47The last thing we need to deal with now is a sheep outbreak.
02:53I vividly remember living in Dublin and I vividly remember coming down here and growing
02:58up.
02:59Massive adjustment going from city life to country life.
03:02In the 90s, Tessa's parents gave the castle a whole new lease of life and turned it into
03:08a hotel.
03:09It was a huge salvage job.
03:12Everyone thought they were bonkers, which they are, but I think you have to be bonkers
03:16to achieve something like this.
03:22Married for two years, Tessa and Robin work hard at being the perfect hosts.
03:27I've ordered more tea lights today, so...
03:31With a little help from top dog, George.
03:35We don't waste a moment not thinking about it.
03:38Constantly coming up with different ideas.
03:43And with such a vast amount of stately space, running a castle isn't always a fairy tale.
03:55The ice machine now, that's broken down, the main one.
03:59There's so many appliances and machines involved with hotels.
04:04There's always either something on the way out or already broken down, so you've got
04:10to be either able to MacGyver something and fix it on the cuff to be maintained properly
04:14or always have a backup.
04:16At seven months pregnant, Tessa's still as busy as ever.
04:21There is an element of controlled craziness.
04:27Makes it more charming if it is a little bit, you know, the lampshade is slightly crooked
04:32or, as you'll find everywhere, the pictures don't just align correctly, but you don't
04:39feel like you can sit and relax if everything is do-do-do-do-do.
04:43I couldn't do this on my own and I don't think Tessa could do this on her own either.
04:47I wouldn't want to do it on my own.
04:49Yeah.
04:50Which one do you want to start with?
04:51Every decision is shared.
04:53Oh, yeah.
04:54It's so good.
04:55We kind of work as a unit.
04:56It is a fair-sized operation.
05:00To add to their workload and boost business, Tessa and Robin are opening their doors to
05:05a public auction for the first time.
05:08And Tessa's got designs on a seating plan.
05:12So we have to clear out this entire room for all the chairs.
05:14There's a lot more people than originally anticipated.
05:18So we're not even leaving tables?
05:19No, no.
05:20Everything out.
05:21OK.
05:22I'll be the boss.
05:23I'll do all the donkey walk, like usual.
05:28Just across the village green is world-renowned Shepherd's Auctioneers.
05:33They'll be running the auction at the castle.
05:38And cousins Michael and Philip have a sharp eye for detail.
05:42Between both of us, we have 100 years' experience of handling things.
05:47In the period 1900, silver was still a very fashionable piece.
05:52There's a skill and art to curating collections, sourcing from stately homes and castles from
05:58all over the world.
06:00Chinese, obviously.
06:01The cousins are very selective when it comes to choosing treasures.
06:07We're looking at the global scape, really.
06:09We don't just take everything.
06:11We stream as many pieces as we can.
06:14I would have those in my house.
06:16He has two belong to me in his house for years.
06:18And when you focus, you generally find nice things.
06:21I have actually four belong to you in my house.
06:24It's the buzz.
06:25It's something that's really special.
06:42Back at the castle, every inch of the estate is being primed and preened in anticipation
06:47of the auction.
06:55And Tessa has been keeping an eye on operations.
06:58Yes, George Ironbump will supervise from the corner.
07:03You don't need a gym around here, that's for sure.
07:05Which is keeping Robin in shape.
07:07Because it's something we've never done before.
07:10It's not that it's challenging.
07:11It's just you want it to go right and you don't want to make any mistakes.
07:16I couldn't have settled down with someone I couldn't do this job with.
07:21So this is another option we could use as like an overspill room for people to sit down
07:25and have tea and coffee and just relax.
07:27Yeah, yeah, yeah.
07:28We're doing everything as a couple.
07:30And the same way as...
07:31Sorry, George is just having a moment.
07:33Has he a say in the matter?
07:43In the auction house, the cousins have their sleeves rolled up prepping for the auction.
07:48Choosing the collection, they sell hundreds of lots on auction days.
07:53And there's no accounting for taste.
07:56I have taste, he has none.
07:58Very simple, a dichotomy.
08:01Taste is a very personal thing.
08:03That's nice.
08:04I like it.
08:05Just because he's wrong, I shouldn't really say it, you know.
08:10I think that's magic.
08:13This cushion, I mean, it's all over the place.
08:15It's crazy.
08:16My dad before me would always say, I'll sell it, regardless of how I felt.
08:23So in this case, I'll sell it.
08:25Nobody in their right mind would want those.
08:29This is your casserole dish.
08:31And in the thick of their great antique evaluation...
08:34More lamps here.
08:36Michael and Philip often invite a second opinion.
08:40Oh, it's heavy.
08:45Jeweller Frances Kelly is a seasoned expert when it comes to all the glitters.
08:50The cousins rely on her advice to get the right price.
08:54It's a colorish.
08:55It's very solid.
08:57Yeah.
08:58Gorgeous.
08:59Hearty.
09:00It's 18 carats, stamped 750.
09:05And it's 1986.
09:06Cartier at this time, they were making their best of stuff.
09:13Oh, 1980s, yeah.
09:15This necklace is valued at 10,000 to 15,000 euros.
09:19That's approximately 8,700 to just over 13,000 pounds.
09:28But it's not just the Cartier necklace that needs Frances's attention.
09:33This is a ring that came in to us a couple of weeks ago.
09:36I just want you to sort of have a look at it and see what you can tell me about it,
09:40so that we know exactly what we're dealing with going forward.
09:44Very pretty.
09:45The five diamonds are so alive, they're all dancing together.
09:47Oh, that's a beautiful expression.
09:49Yeah.
09:50I like that.
09:51I'm going to remember that.
09:52I'm going to steal that from you.
09:53I'm going to let on it's my own.
09:56Lovely diamonds.
09:59I can measure them with my Moet gauge.
10:02Your caratometer.
10:03This is a Moet gauge, right?
10:04Okay.
10:05About, over 0.776 carats.
10:110.776 carats.
10:12About three quarters, over three quarters of a carat each.
10:14Each?
10:15Yes.
10:16Okay.
10:17So the clarity is around VS2, which is on the high end of the clarity scale.
10:22And that's why they sparkle so well.
10:25Yes.
10:26It's like as if the light hops across them as you move it.
10:29Yeah.
10:30Like it moves from one to the other.
10:31They're round brilliant cuts.
10:33Yes.
10:36And then you have a closet, so the light is able to get in under.
10:39So when you say closet, it's raised up slightly off the ring.
10:42Yes, you can see.
10:43Yes.
10:44See?
10:45Yeah, now I can see it.
10:46So you see the diamond in the round.
10:47Yes.
10:48When an antique comes with limited history, every additional detail is important to the
10:53valuation.
10:56On the inside here, you have the hallmarks.
11:00950, which is the modern mark for platinum, which in the old days was PLAT.
11:07Ah.
11:08I'd say this ring was specially made.
11:10I'd say this ring was a handmade ring as well.
11:12I think you commissioned.
11:13Yeah.
11:14Yeah.
11:15What kind of a budget would somebody need to get pieces?
11:18I'd say to commission something like that would be about, I'd say between 30 and 35,000.
11:26People today, they have no problem spending 20 or 30 grand on an engagement ring.
11:32So with that in mind, Philip will put an estimate of 20 to 25,000 euros on the ring.
11:38That's roughly 17,400 to 21,700 pounds, in the hope that they will get more.
11:46So our estimate...
11:47Would be very good.
11:48Yeah.
11:49Bargain.
11:50Diamonds have a very high energy.
11:52People pick them up and they look at them and they, you know, they get very excited about them.
11:56I've seen that.
11:57And the bigger, the better.
11:58Yeah.
11:59Diamonds are a girl's best friend, you know.
12:02I can see you kind of like it yourself, do you?
12:04To be up and beyond sort of being our...
12:06I wouldn't say no to it, no.
12:08Our expert advisor, you know.
12:09Are you going to propose?
12:13You'd never know.
12:15Frances has given this five-diamond platinum sparkler her hallmark of approval.
12:21What a stunner.
12:24Coming up...
12:25A stunning piece of rock and roll kit gets the auctioneers revved up.
12:29Without the frame, it might actually make more money.
12:32It stays in the box frame.
12:33It's ready to go.
12:34A beautiful white marble chimney piece is in the market for a new home.
12:38We do have sections where it is unfinished.
12:43At 11,000, 12,000, at 12,000.
12:46And the platinum five-diamond dazzler has its moment with the hammer.
12:51MUSIC
12:55It's the day of the auction, and Castle Durrow is a hive of activity.
13:03And castle owners Tessa and Robin are knee-deep
13:06in some last-minute finessing before the auction.
13:14It's really interesting learning the ins and outs of that world,
13:17and hosting something different here is always a bit of fun,
13:20like...
13:22The carefully curated antiques are making their way through the door...
13:28..as Shepard's auctioneers are putting a bit of shape on the space.
13:33You should really have a little thing,
13:35like the butler does, laying out the table in the big country house,
13:38spacing all the plates and all the things.
13:41It's a bit tight, yeah.
13:44Philip's adamant that the auction will be executed with timely precision.
13:49The light is great, the atmosphere is great,
13:51and we will, of course, be starting, you know, on the button at 10am.
13:58Every second counts as the start time creeps ever closer, and...
14:03Oh.
14:04Ten minutes, is it, or does anyone know?
14:06Starting at ten.
14:07Oh, at ten.
14:08Gosh, we've got half an hour now to fix this.
14:12Sorry there.
14:13Robin's going to be bidding on his electrical skills
14:16to get the lights back on.
14:18That's why my hair's standing up.
14:20No, it's dead.
14:21Just had to learn out of necessity.
14:23In this game, you can't really afford to wait for somebody to call out.
14:27This needs to be repaired there and then.
14:30I work well under pressure.
14:32OK, one of many simple words.
14:39Great, that's...that's repaired.
14:42MUSIC
14:46The stage is set.
14:50Behind the doors of the castle...
14:55..a collection of priceless antiques is ready to be sold.
15:03Literally every quarter, there's like,
15:05oh, there's something incredible to look at.
15:12MUSIC
15:22Bidders arrive, local and international, for the auction.
15:30You can almost sense the excitement here.
15:32It's almost palpable.
15:34There's a great buzz.
15:36We were here late last night.
15:38Beautiful.
15:39There was a few bits that still had to be walked out.
15:42There's a hive of activity here, really, at the crack of dawn.
15:45There is such a thing as auction fever.
15:47It's my passion. I love it.
15:50Fantastic atmosphere, lovely building.
15:53People sort of lining up to register to bid,
15:56trying to get their seat vying for places.
15:59It's wonderful.
16:00Might end up buying more things than I sell.
16:02It's under way, so close your eyes, brace yourself and hope for the best.
16:07With prospective buyers taking their seats,
16:10a global online audience logs in to bid,
16:13as auctioneer Michael steals his nerves.
16:17After doing it all these years, I'm still nervous before I get up,
16:21but once I get up, that's it.
16:23I'm master of the ship at that point.
16:26We begin with a pair of mice and porcelain cups and saucers.
16:29190 on bid.
16:31190, 200 now.
16:32220. 240.
16:35260, 300 now.
16:37340.
16:39227, that's the sterling silver sculpture.
16:42500 on bid.
16:43550, 600 and 850.
16:45Vying.
16:47Gone at 1,000.
16:48At 1,300.
16:50At 1,800.
16:511,600.
16:525,000.
16:56One striking treasure of the hundreds of lots on offer
17:00is this sculptured marble chimney piece,
17:02carved in the 18th-century neoclassical style.
17:09Widely considered the king of the Italian Carrara marbles,
17:12statuary is a highly desirable stone for the right auction bidder.
17:23Potential buyers for the chimney piece
17:25have been renovating their beautiful mansion from the 1860s
17:29for over ten years.
17:33Vet Liz and horse trader husband Canis
17:36are restoring their house as authentically as possible
17:39and buying at auction is the way they do it.
17:43Nocatrina House was a derelict ruin for decades
17:46and the house and the land have belonged to Canis' family
17:49since he was a boy.
17:51Mum and Dad bought the farm in the late 50s, early 60s.
17:54They bought it as a farm, not for the house, the famous house.
18:00The old house, as we used to call it, the mansion,
18:03it was a complete ruin.
18:05It was covered in ivy.
18:07But it was always the dream then to try and do something with it.
18:12We spent two or three months just removing the ivy
18:15and then took another sabbatical.
18:17Of a few years.
18:20It's only in the last probably four years
18:22when we've really gotten into it and started to do something.
18:26Every part of this project pays homage to history
18:29as the couple buy pieces at auction
18:31that emulate the look and feel of the past.
18:35This room isn't finished yet
18:37and this was the room that we're considering for that chimney piece.
18:41The mantle piece on the chimney piece
18:44will work really well with the coving.
18:46The fireplace. Chimney piece.
18:48Chimney piece, good point.
18:50Everyone calls them fireplaces unless you know something
18:53and then you call them chimney pieces.
18:56It's a time-intensive project
18:59and a practically demanding one too.
19:03We do have sections where it is unfinished.
19:08This is what it was like when we moved in
19:11and we've got a very friendly doggy coming up to say hello.
19:14Hiya.
19:15It wasn't actually technically habitable.
19:17One hosepipe for the kitchen sink.
19:20My dad's toilet.
19:22Yes.
19:23And it was actually easier to walk over to Granny's house
19:26to go to the toilet than it was to go upstairs.
19:31With all the ongoing work,
19:33you don't just get a little bit of dust and the place is filthy.
19:38Auction buying is an affordable way to sustain the project
19:42and every development is a celebration.
19:44The central heating started working two days ago
19:47so that was a huge milestone.
19:49I do recall last year when we came down to the hall
19:52it was frost on the inside.
19:54It was warmer outside than it was inside.
19:57And your dad, he's just so proud of what has been done
20:01and to be fair to him.
20:02Really? He doesn't say that to me.
20:04Yeah, well, he has said it to me.
20:06And the couple have their own style
20:08for how they salvage and lovingly curate each part of their home.
20:13One step at a time.
20:14There's no point in even thinking about the end game.
20:19Hannes is a risk-taker
20:20and I guess if you trade in horses, that's what you do
20:23every single time you go to the auction.
20:25I think that's how the building has actually come back to life.
20:29It has paid off.
20:30That was good fun.
20:31Yeah.
20:32It is good fun.
20:38Back in the castle...
20:42..it's time for the chimney piece to take centre stage.
20:46Bidding for the chimney piece that Liz and Hannes have been looking at
20:50is about to commence.
20:51And with its neo-classical style, the lutes, fluted columns and cartouche,
20:57with an estimate of 5,000 to 8,000 euros,
21:00roughly 4,350 to almost 7,000 pounds,
21:04it would set any room on fire.
21:09But Liz is keeping her cards close to her chest.
21:16So I believe the reserve on the fireplace, I think, is 5,000.
21:19I think it's bad luck to discuss how much we'd like to bid on the piece.
21:23We'll see how we feel during the auction.
21:25At 70, going at 17.
21:28With auction fever in the room, temperatures and emotions can run high.
21:34But just like a horse race, anything can happen.
21:40172 is a neo-classical statue of white marble chimney piece.
21:43Somebody starts this off now at 4,000.
21:45Any opening bid of 4,000 to start this lot?
21:47Do I have an opening bid of 4,000 to start it?
21:49Any opening bid of 4,000 to start it?
21:514,000 I bid. 4,000 I bid. Any advance now on 4,000 for this lot?
21:54At 4,000.
21:55There's some early interest in the chimney piece
21:58as the auction gets fired up and the price is climbing.
22:024,600. 4,600.
22:04But if Liz isn't doing the bidding here...
22:07Any further advance than 4,600 now for this chimney piece?
22:104,800.
22:11I wonder who is.
22:13At 4,800.
22:14Ah. Further advance than 4,800 all out.
22:17At 4,800.
22:19Not at 4,800.
22:21And the statuary marble chimney piece is sold at 4,800 euros to...
22:28Liz? Liz!
22:30The other half is at it again.
22:32Well, that was a turn-up for the books.
22:35Yeah, he did the bidding, to be fair.
22:38My husband's got a very simple take on auctions.
22:40It's like burn hole in pocket.
22:43And it doesn't seem to matter.
22:45Don't go over X, never seems to work.
22:48I bid 4,700, but he took 4,800.
22:51There you go.
22:53So it will not fall out over 100 euros.
22:56This purchase gets the couple one step further
22:58on their renovation journey.
23:00It's just a nice piece.
23:02We'll see anyway. It should look nice when it's done.
23:04Yeah, hopefully we'll have it in a few weeks.
23:06I'm happy that we can finish a room.
23:10She is to feel for it.
23:18Any bid of 150? 150 on bid.
23:20150 on bid. Any advance on 150 for the lot?
23:23The auction is well under way.
23:25Tessa and Robin turn their attention to the refreshments.
23:28What's this first one?
23:30This is an iced tea with honey from the gardens and rosemary.
23:34There's nothing they love more than coming up with creative ways
23:37to show off produce from the castle's grounds.
23:40This is obviously mimicking a fruity gin tonic.
23:43This is a mojito. And what's this going to mimic?
23:46Like a Negroni. Oh, yeah.
23:48They've been innovating their drinks menu for the auction guests
23:52and using their very refined taste buds to test.
23:58That's my honey, is it?
24:00It seems like Tessa is only craving one taste.
24:03That could actually have more sweetness.
24:05I think it's, yeah, delicious.
24:07No, but Tessa, you have a sickly sweet tooth.
24:09Yeah. It's not as sweet as I thought it would be.
24:12All this is about sweet.
24:14I love sweet.
24:17So far, this is definitely my favourite.
24:20Because the mint is super strong.
24:22Yeah, no, it is.
24:24Maybe we should muddle it all up.
24:26But I like the fact that this is our own honey in it.
24:29We should... We can put, like, honey into the gin, maybe.
24:33Yeah, exactly. Add the honey element into the gin and tonic mojito.
24:37OK, perfect. These two. Great.
24:39Good job. So, we'll repeat this exercise now.
24:43Taste testing suits these two.
24:45But now it's time to get back to business.
24:50And now for the lot of 1,800.
24:52Going at 1,800. Going, going.
24:54That was 1,800.
24:56Lot number nine is a tribal bird beak mask.
24:59Somebody sat this off now at 240 on bid.
25:02In the auction room, there's a fine art to bidding.
25:05Shepherd's Live at 240, 260 now.
25:07And it makes for compulsive viewing.
25:09280, 300, will I say?
25:12320 now. At 320. At 320.
25:15Sold at 320.
25:17Bidding and stuff like that is... Exciting. Yeah.
25:20Lot number 30 is an Art Deco gilt bronze alabaster bust.
25:24An even bid of 150. 150 on bid.
25:26150 on bid. 150 on bid.
25:28160. 160. 170.
25:30Hospitality, it's calming and relaxed.
25:33360.
25:34Core auctioneering is unbelievably fast-paced.
25:36340, 360, 380, 400,
25:3920, 440, 460, 480, 500.
25:42It's such a different dynamic than kind of...
25:45What we would be used to. I think so, yeah.
25:48Is your heart thumping?
25:51At 540.
25:55CLINK
26:01Next up, it's the dazzling diamond ring
26:04that brought a twinkle to Philip's eye.
26:06It's a platinum five-stone diamond ring.
26:08Valued between 20 and 25,000 euros...
26:10Incredible sparkling from the...
26:12..it's one of the most expensive lots on offer.
26:15Somebody start these off now at 10,000.
26:17An even bid of 10,000 to start at 10,000 on bid.
26:2010,000 on bid. 10,000 on bid.
26:22At 11,000. At 11,000.
26:24When there's a rally and when something is making
26:27astronomical sums of money, it is a cocoon.
26:31And it's a cocoon that you never want to leave.
26:33At 11,000. At 11,000.
26:3512,000. At 12,000.
26:3713,000. 13,000. 13,000.
26:40For the buyers, when they're in a rally and they're bidding,
26:44they don't want to leave that cocoon either
26:46because it is the most exhilarating thing you could do.
26:4913,000. 14,000. 14,000. 15,000.
26:53There's a warmth in it and you want to stay there.
26:56At 15,000. At 15,000.
26:58Any further advance at 15,000. 16,000. At 16,000.
27:01I hope I do get it. I hope I don't get it.
27:03All of that is going through their heads.
27:05At 17,000. Any further advance at 17,000.
27:0818,000. At 18,000.
27:10At 18,000. Any further advance at 18,000.
27:13Now for this ring. At 18,000.
27:15Going. Going.
27:17That was 18,000.
27:19There was a lot of interest in the room,
27:21but in the end the ring has gone to an anonymous bidder.
27:24Selling for a cool 18,000 euros,
27:27it's come in at a competitive price
27:30and has made someone very happy.
27:34Those diamonds were just humming.
27:36I don't think somebody got a very, very good buy.
27:39Coming up...
27:41A guitar signed by the Rolling Stones rocks into the auction room
27:45and a sacred Tibetan artefact causes a stir.
27:4817,000, 19,000, 20,000.
27:58We're at the Country House auction at Castle Durrow,
28:02where some cracking treasures are going under the hammer.
28:05331, as an award in high deposit,
28:08Chester builds a T, 800 in bid,
28:101,000 at 1,100.
28:12Gone to 1,100.
28:14This neoclassical-style chimney piece
28:17has set the auction ablaze at 4,800 euros.
28:22The dazzling platinum diamond ring
28:24wooed with an eye-watering price of 18,000 euros.
28:29Last chance on the line bidders at 2,400.
28:33And a stunning gold Cartier collaret
28:36tipped the scales at 10,500 euros.
28:41The pièce de résistance that's captured everyone's imagination
28:45and created a real buzz is soon to be auctioned.
28:49As the bidding in the auction room continues,
28:52castle owner Robin is in the thick of it all.
28:55The bids are well under way,
28:57so I'm just going to go around, do a quick little lap,
29:00check everything,
29:01and I'm going to check out a couple of the pieces myself.
29:04It's silver-mounted.
29:05Better be quick, as soon everything will be going...
29:082,600.
29:09Going.
29:10420.
29:11Gone.
29:12It's all at 115.
29:1319 is the 19th-century Berlin porcelain plaque.
29:16Somebody starts this off now at 200 euros
29:18for the Berlin porcelain plaque, and a bit of 200 euros...
29:21As the bidding in the auction room continues...
29:23They have the clips on already.
29:25You can hang it up on the wall for decoration, too.
29:27Yeah, I don't know where to find a place to hang that up, though.
29:30..castle owners Tessa and Robin take a moment
29:33to see if any of the pieces on offer could cut it in the castle.
29:37I love the colours on this. This is insane.
29:40This is gorgeous.
29:42Maybe for the bride and groom's meal.
29:46We definitely do need more artwork.
29:49I have a few different ideas for the hallway,
29:51but I was thinking more portraits and equestrian.
29:54They need to be grander paintings and frames.
29:56Yeah.
29:57Something like that would look lost.
29:59Actually, it might be a nice gift to buy your friend Jeff.
30:02How much is it?
30:04OK, well, I've just seen it there now that rules that out.
30:08£6,000 to £9,000.
30:10Wow. Yeah.
30:13But with a new arrival on the way,
30:15there's one small item that wouldn't look amiss in the castle.
30:19It's very cute. Yeah, it's very sweet.
30:22That's more for play, really.
30:24I wouldn't say so.
30:25Would you put your child into that?
30:27I'd trust this furniture over anything modern.
30:3018th century.
30:32Wow. It's nearly as old as the house.
30:34It would actually look lovely in some of the family bedrooms.
30:38No. Why not? It'd be destroyed.
30:40Well, people, yeah, maybe it'd have to have a nice black highlight.
30:43It's actually just a...
30:45Yeah, your child's not going to read that.
30:47Yeah.
30:48They'll just see, like, ooh, I want to sit on that.
30:53Oh, is it time for tea, George?
30:56Backstage in the auction house,
30:58Michael and Philip have their mitts
31:00on something a little more rock and roll.
31:05So this is something we don't have too often.
31:07This is a piece of pop music memorabilia
31:10by no lesser group than the Rolling Stones.
31:13This is estimated at 3,000 to 5,000 euros.
31:17That's about £2,600 to £4,350.
31:22They will have a huge interest on the internet worldwide.
31:27I think the States will probably buy it.
31:30And who isn't a fan of the Rolling Stones?
31:32I'm not. No? No.
31:35I'm not surprised. You don't get out very often.
31:40This Fender guitar, signed by the band members,
31:43was bought at a charity event in Hong Kong
31:46and is now being sold by a private seller at auction.
31:49We all know the Rolling Stones are true rock and roll royalty.
31:55Not only were they trailblazers with their unique sound,
31:58they've sold over 250 million albums worldwide.
32:02Quite something.
32:06Collectors are keen to own a piece of rock and roll history
32:09and Michael thinks he knows just what they might want.
32:12Well, so, um...
32:15To my mind, if I was going to buy it, I'd take it out of the case
32:19and hang it on my wall.
32:21This is how it's presented. The presentation is lovely.
32:24I wouldn't put too much effort into the presentation.
32:27I think it's ready to go.
32:29If that was in a box with all the elements just put in the box,
32:32it would be a lot less presentable.
32:34A shadowbox. That, to my mind, clashes with my sense of taste.
32:38But I think, on its own, without the frame,
32:41it might actually make more money.
32:43It might be something we put to the client.
32:46I mean, who wants the shadowbox? You want the guitar.
32:49Anyway, that's... We can decide that afterwards.
32:52I said to myself, you know, we need to have a serious chat after this.
32:56For the moment, we'll run with 3,000.
32:58We won't decide anything. It stays in the box frame.
33:01It's 3,000 to 5,000. It's ready to go.
33:03OK. Fine.
33:05Hey, Michael, sometimes you can't always get what you want.
33:09Back at the castle on auction day,
33:11Dubliner Ian has been collecting and dealing in antiques
33:14since he was 10 years old.
33:18And today, he has music memorabilia on his mind.
33:22I have a keen interest in the signed Rolling Stones guitar.
33:26I have a Dublin pub client who I think is going to be very interested
33:30in this particular guitar.
33:32So I'm going to have a look at it.
33:35I have a Dublin pub client who I'd sold music memorabilia to before,
33:39who I've told about the guitar,
33:41and it's piqued his interest to a certain extent.
33:44So it's all about whether I can get it at the right price.
33:48The starting bid is 2,400.
33:51That's the starting bid, Ian.
33:53But we all want to know what you're going to bid.
33:56That's top secret. I don't really... I have a...
33:59Do I have to say the figure?
34:01Oh, go on. Yeah, do.
34:03I'd be prepared to bid as far as 3,500.
34:06That leaves a healthy profit margin after I sell it on to my client.
34:10If it surpasses that figure, I'll have to just walk away empty-handed today.
34:14I'm excited to hopefully get a good deal on this.
34:17Everyone else in here, I think, is looking at country antiques,
34:20brown furniture. The guitar is very different.
34:22I'm hoping it kind of goes off the radar for most people
34:25who buy this type of memorabilia.
34:27Well, Ian, here's hoping you get some satisfaction.
34:34That number 14 is a guitar.
34:45In an auction, the bids come in digitally, on the phone and in person.
34:50And Michael is expecting that online bidding for this guitar will take off.
34:54A guitar signed by the members of the Rolling Stones.
34:57A few nods in the room get the ball rolling.
35:002,400.
35:02But Ian's strategy is to wait a bit
35:04before he rocks in there with his own opening number.
35:072,600.
35:09Two characters bidding on it.
35:11One possibly a Rolling Stone.
35:14Certainly fit the bill there.
35:172,600. 2,600. 2,800.
35:22Ian holds firm as the price escalates.
35:252,800. 3,000. 3,000.
35:28At the back of the room, it's a global audience of online bidders
35:32who are egging this sale on.
35:343,200. 3,400.
35:36And a small nod from Ian keeps him in the game.
35:393,400. 3,400.
35:41But the rally is tense as it gets close to Ian's limit.
35:453,600. 3,600? No.
35:47In the end, this bidder bows out.
35:50You have to stick with the figure that you had in mind
35:53before you went into the room.
35:55You can't get carried away with the excitement of the room
35:58and get too competitive about it.
36:00Against your line at 3,600, we're selling at 3,600.
36:03Yeah, I had to bow out once I passed 3,500.
36:06Gone with 3,600.
36:07The guitar is sold for 3,600 euros
36:10in the stunning shadow box.
36:13And in the end, it's an anonymous bidder
36:15who will be rolling away with the guitar.
36:20It was worth a shot, but there was one other bidder
36:23and that's all it takes to drive the price up.
36:28Coming up, as the lots keep coming,
36:30it's clear the auction is finding its feet
36:33for Robin and Tessa in Castle Durham.
36:35Sold at 1,900.
36:36It's the lady behind you bidding.
36:3825 euros.
36:39There's a huge build-up to, I think, most events here.
36:43I love seeing people enjoying themselves.
36:45When you get a party, people are just thoroughly enjoying themselves.
36:49That is so rewarding.
36:51And the rewards get even bigger
36:53when a Tibetan treasure made from a meteorite
36:56makes an astronomical impact on the auction.
37:07It's the big finale of the auction at Castle Durham.
37:11This 300-year-old building, nestled in the heart of Ireland,
37:15is run by hoteliers Robin and Tessa.
37:18We've days which are always busy,
37:20but then when the doors are open and the place is properly lit up
37:24and staff are running around everywhere with a smile
37:27and people are being catered for...
37:30But just so awe-inspiring.
37:32Yeah.
37:35And it is this unique atmosphere that is the backdrop for the auction.
37:41With hundreds of lots to sell, it has already been a nail-biting day.
37:46Going.
37:47Going.
37:48Going.
37:49Down to 1,700.
37:51Down to 2,800.
37:53Today's bidders have been reaching deep into their pockets
37:56and have been spending thousands to buy the treasures of their choice.
38:01Some at eye-watering prices.
38:04This 17th-century Dutch cabinet sold for 5,500 euros.
38:09Going. Going.
38:11Down to 5,500.
38:13And this beautiful Regency clock made an exceptional 6,500 euros.
38:19There have also been a few disappointments.
38:22However, some of the high-value items have done very well indeed.
38:25Down to 3,400.
38:27The guitar, signed by rock-and-roll legends The Rolling Stones,
38:30hit the right note and sold for 3,600 euros.
38:35Down to 3,600.
38:37And the dazzling diamond ring flew out of the room at an amazing 18,000 euros.
38:45Once that gavel goes down, it is sold to the highest bidder.
38:52In the auction house, cousins Michael and Philip
38:55painstakingly curate the antiques with the help of Michael's son, James.
38:59Can you see the sun, moon and stars there?
39:01Oh, I can't see the sun, moon and stars, no.
39:04Who's been lucky enough to behold the most impressive item of the sale.
39:09This is a perba, a symbolic dagger
39:12that cuts through ignorance, greed and delusion,
39:15which impedes spiritual development.
39:18So it's made of meteorite iron.
39:22Meteorite iron is a malleable material,
39:25originating in the core of an asteroid.
39:29This is an outer-less world, that, isn't it?
39:31You said it, James.
39:35A perba, or Tibetan dagger,
39:37is a sacred object used by Buddhists during prayer ceremonies.
39:41They're usually a three-sided shape
39:43and typically depict ferocious icons for protection.
39:4817th century, as in 16-something, possibly earlier.
39:52It's meant to sort of just cut through all that evil
39:55and just, you know, to save the world from evil forces.
39:59It's the meteorite iron that deems the perba especially holy.
40:03When this material lands on Earth,
40:05it can be seen as a gift sent from gods above.
40:08Fascinating, the interest that's in both meteorite and jade,
40:13all over the world, from Neolithic periods,
40:16where isolated communities, you know, no connection whatsoever,
40:20and they have a great affinity with both meteorite and jade.
40:26It almost looks like a pen.
40:28Yeah, no, it's amazing, the detail that's gone into it.
40:31But a beautiful piece.
40:35It might look like a pen,
40:38but this special Tibetan dagger has been hand-carved,
40:42and with a valuation of between 20,000 and 30,000 euros,
40:47there's every chance the price could skyrocket.
40:56The sun may be going down, but expectation is rising.
41:00There has been so much interest in Internet activity
41:03surrounding the Tibetan perba
41:05that everyone is waiting with bated breath.
41:08Showing here.
41:10And now it's hammer time.
41:12It's also an exciting moment for auction attendee Sun Qian.
41:17I'm here today to buy the important pupas
41:23for the Tibetan group, for my buddhist group.
41:27The material is a meteorite from the space.
41:31All they use for the big show or for big ceremony
41:35in the Himalayan culture.
41:39With a pre-sale estimate of between 20,000 to 30,000 euros,
41:44that's about £17,300 to just over £26,000,
41:48everyone is praying to the sailroom gods that it heads for the stars.
41:54So, with the team manning the buzzing Internet bids
41:57at the back of the room, Michael starts low.
42:00I'm going to start this off now at 10,000.
42:02Any bid of 10,000 to start it?
42:04Any bid of 10,000 to start it?
42:0610,000 and bid. 10,000 and bid. 10,000 and bid.
42:08It's a good start.
42:0910,000. At 10,000.
42:11The general expectation was for an international bidding war to be fought,
42:15but the auction starts much closer to home, in the room itself.
42:19At 14,000, 15,000, 16,000,
42:2217,000, 19,000, 20,000.
42:26Chinese bidder Sun Qiang is determined to make the dagger his.
42:3040,000.
42:31He's clearly a man on a mission.
42:35Suddenly, the Internet kicks in.
42:37Sun now has some serious competition from an anonymous Internet bidder.
42:4260,000.
42:4370,000.
42:4480,000.
42:4590,000.
42:46This has quickly become a two-horse race.
42:4995,000.
42:50But Sun's poker face has not slipped once.
42:53At 100,000.
42:55The dagger has now reached an amazing 100,000 euros,
43:00five times higher than its lowest estimate.
43:03120.
43:05120,000 now.
43:06130,000.
43:08At 135,000.
43:10140,000.
43:12At 140,000.
43:14At 140,000 going once, going twice.
43:18Sold at 140,000.
43:21The perber has sold for an astonishing 140,000 euros.
43:27The winner was determined bidder Sun Qiang.
43:30He has purchased this piece of Buddhist history
43:33on behalf of a private museum in Tibet.
43:36I'm very happy to win this from this auction.
43:42I believe this is the 16th century, 17th century.
43:48The last time Sun saw one of these daggers at auction in China,
43:52it sold for considerably more.
43:55So Sun has got himself a bit of a bargain.
43:58I think I will spend more money for that.
44:02But it's good today.
44:04This is very rare.
44:05I only see the second one from the last 10, 20 years.
44:09Very important person owned before.
44:12We're just very happy to see them in this auction
44:16and we buy them back.
44:25It's been a hugely successful auction at Castle Dorough.
44:31Among the hundreds of lots that went to new homes,
44:34the neoclassical Carrara marble chimney piece
44:37realised a fantastic 4,800 euros.
44:43Another 4,800.
44:46And the Cartier collaret held its own
44:49with a very respectable 10,500 euros.
44:53But no-one expected the ancient Tibetan perber
44:57to go for such an incredible price.
45:00Sold at 140,000.
45:02But for Tessa and Robin,
45:04has this auction at Castle Dorough been a success?
45:07From everything I've heard, it went down a treat, no?
45:11Mm.
45:12Can I top that up for you?
45:14This pint I've poured has nearly evaporated.
45:17My pint of milk.
45:18I've waited days for one of these.
45:20Cheers.
45:21And it probably goes straight to my head.
45:23You're a good help.
45:24I haven't even had a chance to eat properly today.
45:27Story of your life.
45:28We'll put together a nice little hearty dinner.
45:31There's not an awful hurry
45:32to get everything turned back the way it needs to be.
45:35Powering off, locking up.
45:37George, what do you think? How do you think it went?
45:40George is a man of very few words, Tessa.
45:43Just the way I like him.
45:48Next time...
45:49Come here, you little rugged Highlanders.
45:52This is funny.
45:54It is a lovely, lovely painting.
45:56Very, very difficult to paint a highlight like that.
46:01This is a trademark.
46:03Love that.
46:04Kind of creepy.
46:06Horror movie?
46:07Sold at 18,000.
46:09This is not about the money, this is about the excitement.
46:12Got it! So delighted with myself.
46:14I really do hope this piece comes home with me.
46:26© BF-WATCH TV 2021