Antiques Roadshow guest red-faced as expert probes her on vital detail of valuable lantern

An guest was left beaming after her grandfather's Chinese lantern received a hefty valuation.

Expert Lars Tharp was on hand at Floors Castle to discuss the "beautiful" lantern with its proud owner during the BBC series' filming.

He playfully asked: "I know we're not quite up to night time yet but if it were night time, this is what we would do. Do you do this with your lantern?", to which she joyfully responded: "I do. Every week."

Delving into the history of the piece, the woman shared: "From my father, from his father and he was a medical missionary in China, in about 1890 to over 1900."

Tharp noted: "So approximately 100 plus years ago. It's a beautiful thing. You're obviously fond of it."

The owner agreed: "I love it. We always had it on at Christmas and it was just part of the Christmas scene", prompting Tharp to comment: "Yes and what's Christmas without candles?"

Admiring the lantern's intricate design, Tharp highlighted the exceptional skill required to create such a piece.

"Each of the facets is pierced with a different type of trellis," he observed.

"Here, you have a kind of honeycomb trellis and in the centre there's a reserve with a little lotus flower and what I particularly like is this here where two handsome young maidens are accommodating this man here, looking up and gazing at the moon. That's the moon. It's a nighttime scene.

"And in this case, the trellis is not honeycomb but it is overlapping Chinese coins or cash. Now, coins and cash denote wealth, may you have wealth."

As they discussed the lantern's effect when lit, the guest confirmed the shadow play it created: "Yes it does, you can see it from quite a distance," she commented.

Tharp replied: "Ah fantastic! I wish we could [see it], lights down! But we can't."

He admired the lantern's craftsmanship, particularly noting the detailed floral painting on its base: "Anyway, it's beautifully painted, exquisite detail of flowers repeated on the foot, so often these lanterns have lost the foot."

Curious about whether the lantern had a mate, as they typically came in pairs, Tharp asked if the owner possessed the "companion", but the guest didn't think her grandfather owned a second one.

Tharp dated the lantern to a period between the late 18th Century and mid 19th Century, appreciating its appeal to both European and Chinese tastes.

Concerned about safety, he questioned if the lantern was insured, especially since it was used regularly: "Well you light it once a week so you must have it insured? For fire if nothing else."

The guest, slightly embarrassed but amused, responded with a laugh: "Hm, the house is!"

Finally, Tharp delivered the valuation: "I think to replace one of these, if you was to go out and buy another one, I think you're looking at somewhere between £10,000 and £15,000. Strike a light!"

The owner was visibly thrilled, exclaiming: "Never! Really? I thought it was about £500. £10,000 and £15,000?"

"This market has gone absolutely through the roof and it's going to appeal to the Chinese, it's going to appeal to the Europeans. It's a beautiful thing, really," Tharp elaborated.

As the guest expressed her gratitude for the appraisal, the surrounding crowd began to clap, prompting Tharp to jest: "Oh, a round of applause, my word! Oh no, really really!", much to everyone's delight.

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