Bargain Hunt’s Christina Trevanion left open-mouthed as tribal mask collection valued at whopping £2m
BARGAIN Hunt expert Christina Trevanion was left speechless after learning that an African tribal mask could be worth millions.
Auctioneer Christina Trevanion was told that some African masks could go for £2 million at auction.
In Leominster, Hertfordshire Christina met with expert Sam Hanbury-Maiden, who explained that the origins and age of tribal art can be difficult to determine.
Sam said: “Essentially Christina we are talking about pieces that are of a non-European nature.
“Tribal art is a term that covers north and south America, Africa, certain parts of Asia.”
Sam showed Christina everyday ancient items like tools and jewellery.
He continued: “They are considered a tribal art because they were made by artisans.”
Christina pointed to a boomerang.
Sam said: “The middle one is a more unusual variation of a boomerang, this is called the Lil Lil, which is a rarer type of boomerang.
“But, these ones, they’re not necessarily returning boomerangs. They are used for hunting.
“You don’t find those every day, so that’s what makes that one highly desirable for collectors."
Christina asked how much that boomerang would fetch at auction, to which he replied: “That one you’re looking at £800 to £1,000 maybe.”
Sam also picked out some beaded jewellery and face masks worth between £1,000 and £1,500.
He explained: “These masks are from about the 1400s to the 1460s. One of the biggest giveaways with the mask is actually not the front, it’s the back.
“This Yoruba mask, maybe a bit more, maybe £600 something like that,” he said. “The big money-makers are things like the fang masks from Gabon.
“Again highly copied today, but a fang mask with a good providence today, dating from the 19th century could be a couple of million pounds.”
“£2 million, wow,” a stunned Christina replied.
Also in the episode, Christina, Kate Bliss and Ochuko Okiri helped the red and blue teams compete to find the most profitable items to auction off.
Bargain Hunt is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.