The Angel of the North remains one of the UK's most unique and captivating sights.
Artist Antony Gormley began work on his contemporary sculpture in 1994. Today, the 66 ft 'angel' still stands in Gateshead, England and overlooks the A1 motorway.
The Angel of the North's monolithic size - also measuring 178 ft across - made its in-studio appearance on the BBC's famous collectibles programme, the Antiques Roadshow, all the more remarkable.
Alas, the statue itself did not appear to be valued by the programme's experts, but rather a 20/1 scale model. This is no a replica, however, and actually predates its larger sibling.
The item in question was a bronze maquette made in the preparatory stages of the then-planned sculpture.
 The real Angel of the North, measuring 178 ft across, stands tall over Gateshead, UK |
At the time, the Angel of the North remained controversial, and not everybody was in favour. Nevertheless, it is today regarded by some as the most successful modern sculpture in the UK.
Not only was the maquette used to persuade Gateshead Council to go ahead with the Gormley's idea, the 20 ft final monument was actually based upon it.
In the above video, Fine art expert Philip Mould and Gateshead Councillor John McElroy discuss the importance of the statue - including the continuing deep resonance of angels in our culture and the significant decision to build it on the former site of a coal mine.
But how does one value such an item?
You can watch the above video to find out - and see how this 'mini' Angel of the North was awarded the highest valuation ever in 30 years of the BBC's flagship programme.
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