Majolica in the Media: Celebrity Antiques Road Trip

If you're like me you're always on the lookout for interesting ceramics in the background of movies and television shows. Usually these things show up in period dramas but once in a while they show up in contemporary settings as well.

One such type of TV show I scour frequently for these things are those devoted to antiques. Such a program is Celebrity Antiques Road Trip on PBS. This is a different version of a game I used to watch all the time on BBC TV, Antiques Road Trip. until it was dropped from my local carrier. I understand Antiques Road Trip it is still in production in the UK, heading into its 25th season. Some reruns of both shows can be seen on Peacock and Pluto in the US and a number can be found on YouTube.

In Antiques Road Trip several antiques dealers scour the English countryside for items that could make them a profit when sold at auction. Each dealer has a certain amount of money to spend, and they travel around and purchase what they think are the best deals they find. Celebrity Antiques Road Trip adds the twist of including celebrities among those searching for profits. This program has also had a long run in the UK, currently in its tenth season.

Both of these programs are very typically British— proper with lots of English references that would go over the head of most outside the UK, mixed with a few dull British history lessons. I've only seen one season of Celebrity Antiques Road Trip but of those celebrities featured during the season there was only one celebrity that I recognized, the late Diana Rigg. Mostly they are British celebrities unknown to a general international audience outside of the UK.

The episode that caught my attention is from the Fourth season, Episode 11. In this episode the "celebrities" John Craven and Johnny Ball teamed up with two knowledgable dealers Alistair Stewart and Charles Hanson. I wish I could report that they purchased lots of ceramics for their auction selections, but alas, they bought only a couple, a pair of Bretby jugs dating from the 1930’s. There were quite a few pieces of Victorian majolica in one of the stores they shopped in though in Ringwood. Oddly enough they were mostly French majolica, not British.

A set of Salins asparagus plates 

grace the table at the entrance to the shop, with a group of  

Luneville artichoke plates on a plate rack.

Salins majolica asparagus plate

Some Onnaing dessert plates, a French asparagus cradle and a 

blackamoor smoking stand are displayed on one of the store shelves. 

The pineapple pitcher is presumably English

Onnaing majolica dessert plate Corinthe 

English majolica pineapple jug

Continental majolica blackamoor match striker

A Massier majolica jardiniere and

a Longchamp majolica master oyster plate are displayed in one scene

Longchamp majolica master oyster plate

A second view of the shelf holding the majolica exposes an 

Onnaing duck pitcher on the top shelf.

Onnaing majolica pitcher Canard

As antiques dealers these celebrities were a dismal failure with one team losing money on their final purchases and the second only making a small profit, sort of like in the real antiques business! 

In other episodes I spotted a Shorter & Boulton Fan sugar bowl and an Adams & Bromley corn bread tray, which antiques expert David Harper described as “ just gorgeous” which celebrity Esther Ranzten described as “one of the most hideous pieces of china” she had ever seen. I guess there’s no accounting for people’s taste.

Adams & Bromley corn bread tray

It's an enjoyable program worth your time if you find this sort of thing interesting, which I do.