To be fair, this piece represents a case of mistaken identity more than outright fakery, but it remains one of the most striking missteps made by an “Antiques Roadshow” appraiser. That’s in part because the object in question, described as a grotesque face jug, is truly outlandish. Seen in a January 2016 episode, the ceramic vessel sports a variety of twisted faces, a stitched-shut eye, and other distorted features. Appraiser Stephen L. Fletcher said that he believed it was part of a grotesque face jug tradition from either the Mid-Atlantic states or farther to the south from the late 19th to early 20th century. The guest was understandably bowled over when Fletcher appraised the jug at $30,000 to $50,000.
Soon after the episode aired, however, a viewer sent in a tip that the six-faced jug was actually made by her friend Betsy Soule. When “Antiques Roadshow” got a hold of her, Soule confirmed that she made it while in high school in the 1970s. The vessel’s newly appraised value plummeted to $3,000 to $5,000. At least Fletcher was highly complementary toward Soule’s work, saying that the jug “was modeled or sculpted with considerable imagination, virtuosity, and technical competence” (via PBS).
Surprisingly enough, Alvin Barr, the guest who brought the jug on “Antiques Roadshow” in the first place, was also relieved when its value dropped. “I hated it when it was $30,000 to $50,000, because who wants $30,000 to $50,000 lying around their house?” he told The Bulletin.
