Antiques Roadshow guest pulls a face at value for item rescued from her late aunt's trunk

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Antiques Roadshow.

An Antiques Roadshow guest was moments away from giving a valuable find to charity, having unearthed it from her late aunt's chest.

In an intriguing episode shot at RAF Marham, expert Judith Miller encountered a lady keen to learn about a mysterious item she found while sorting through her deceased aunt's belongings.

She recounted: "I discovered it after I nursed an aunt who sadly died.

"She had a trunk in her bedroom full of fascinating things and I came across this and I haven't got a clue what it was for.

"She never told me before either what it was for but just investigating it, I think it has something to do with sewing?

"It has places for needles there and a little threading [bit] where thread can go in but I can't remove that so I'm not quite sure."

Judith clarified the object's purpose, saying: "Well yes it is, it's a lovely sewing clamp. So you put this on the side of your table, it had everything you needed to do sewing.

"This would have come off, I don't want to force it, and of course your thread would come out there as well as being around here.

"Of course, this is a little tape measure that's in here and it's beautifully decorated.

"Now when we think of Tunbridge ware, we think of something with lots of little pieces of wood in it.

"But actually this is early Tunbridge ware, so this was made not far from where it was intended to go which was a present from Brighton."

Judith elaborated: "So it was made in Tunbridge Wells and this was made in the Regency period so 1810, 1815 and of course where was the height of Regency society was in Brighton.

"And so something like this would have been a lovely gift. It would have been an expensive gift in that period. Beautifully made, rare.

"I've never seen one before," admitted the guest as Judith proceeded to conduct her formal appraisal.

"I've seen a few but not that many and this is beautifully decorated. This is what people who collect Tunbridge ware really look for.

"And so Regency, rare, made for Brighton in Tunbridge, and worth? Easily £1,000."

At hearing the valuation, the guest expressed surprise with an audible gasp and an astonished expression, then revealed: "Goodness me. I'm glad that wasn't put in the charity shop, because it nearly did."

Both she and Judith shared a chuckle over the near-miss of discarding such a costly treasure.

Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.