The Spanish dancer figurine brought to “Antiques Roadshow” is likely worth between £2500 and £3000, said expert Will Farmer. That’s a small amount compared to some of the show’s most expensive finds, like $600,000 oil paintings and $1 million rhinoceros horn cups. But it’s still a steep jump from what the guest paid when he purchased the figurine (via BBC One).
The value comes in part from the craftsmanship. Lenci designs are recognized for being highlights of the Art Deco period, Farmer said, and this piece was designed in the 1930s. “Lenci, in the 1920s and ’30s, were really the jewel in the crown of the Italian ceramic industry,” Farmer said.
Lenci was a joint venture between Helen Konig Scavini and her husband, Enrico Scavini, according to Lampoon Magazine. Lampoon reports the Scavinis started production with pressed felt and cloth dolls. But that work later expanded to ceramics when highly respected artists helped to design pieces.
