One Antiques Roadshow guest was disappointed on Sunday evening, when it was revealed her unusual piece of treasure featured an inscription that was “not true”.
The woman produced a metal box with the words “The gift of Stella to Dean Swift” inscribed on the front, in reference to the writer Jonathan Swift.
It appeared as though the box had been a gift from Swift’s friend Esther Johnson, whose nickname was Stella, in the 1700s.
However, antique expert Marc Allum was quick to expose the story behind the object as false, pointing out Stella’s death predated the sort of metal the box had been made from.
The woman explained she had found the box in a “little antique shop,” and was fascinated after researching the friendship between Jonathan Swift and his friend Stella.
Marc gave a bit of backstory, saying: “Dean Swift we know full well is Jonathan Swift, the great satirist and Irish writer who wrote Gulliver’s Travels.”
“Stella was the name that he gave to a girl called Esther Johnson,” the woman who owned the box explained.
However, Marc did some detective work and realised the story behind the box was “not true” as the dates didn’t match up.
“Stella died in 1728,” he said. “Sheffield Plate, the material that this little caddy is made out of, wasn’t invented until about 1743.
“How could Stella have given this box to Dean Swift. She couldn’t have done. It’s as simple as that. All in all, what we’ve got is a very old object,” he added.
As the woman’s face fell, Marc went on: “It’s got this inscription on it which is not engraved, in fact, it’s been stamped on it. Someone has created something that has this story behind it, which I’m afraid, in the cast of this object, is just not true.
“It’s probably worth 20, 30, 40 pounds as an object. But there’s still that intriguing and interesting story connecting to it.”
The woman took the reveal on the chin, and while she had been hoping for a different outcome, she was still happy to own the charming metal box.
“I was hoping of course that it was going to belong to Jonathan Swift,” she said, before adding: “I’m so glad to have got to the bottom of it.
“At the end of the day, it’s a sweet little box and I know a little more about Jonathan Swift and little more about Stella.”
Antiques Roadshow continues next Sunday at 7pm on BBC One.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
