MY GREAT DISCOVERY
Melissa Downhill, antiques dealer and regular on the BBC’S The Bidding Room and Quest TV’S Scrap Kings, shares her greatest antique discovery
‘My greatest, and indeed favourite, antique discovery is a rare 1930s cocktail shaker. It is made of thick, heavy Bakelite in bright cherry red with a silver-plated top. It was designed by family duo Raphael & Lawson Clarke, who created a range of small homeware pieces for the prestigious Regent Street shop Wilson & Gill, which opened in 1892. They were seen as the Rolls Royce of cocktail shakers and are very rare indeed. I found it while working on series three of The Bidding Room; it’s in mint condition and has clearly never been used. It has eight cocktail recipes embossed into the metal, which makes a lovely design feature; twist the top and the next is revealed. I’m smitten with its cool Art Deco charm and am going to keep it as an investment and something to cherish.’