Antiques Roadshow expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan was completely stumped by an "intriguing" item featured in the latest episode. The antiques collector joined host Fiona Bruce and the rest of the team at Forty Hall in Enfield, north London, where treasures included an Andy Warhol poster and an original Punch and Judy set.
Despite his 30 years of experience in the antiques business, Ronnie was unable to identify a wooden stick brought in by a guest.
Explaining how he came to possess the item, the guest explained: "It's been in my family for as long as I know. My mother was born in India and they got married in India and it's been in the family ever since," he added, pointing to small holes at the top where sticks would be placed, causing a shadow when the sun was shining.
As he inspected the item, Ronnie confessed: "You might be pleased to know that I love it but you might not be pleased to know why. I love it because I don't know what it is!
"I like to discover what they are, I love that journey of discovery. It's beautifully made," he continued. Pointing to writing on the stick, Ronnie went on: "It's clearly Indian script here and here. There's all sorts of intriguing little clues.
"This is not a walking staff, it's some kind of surveying instrument for measuring something," confirmed the expert. Guessing the item's age, Ronnie said: "It's definitely old. I would say that's 100 to 120 or 130 years old, late 19th to 20th century."
Appealing to viewers who might be able to identify the item, he continued: "So, I'm appealing to people watching the programme for someone to tell us (what it is). And it would have a price!
"I would be happy to pay up to 200 for that," he said. "Probably no more. But I would pay 200 just to have it and find out... what a cheap lesson that would be!"