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Fake or Fortune?: 'Henry Moore sculpture' mystery solved by TV show

Ben Fitzpatrick/BBC Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould with the sculptureBen Fitzpatrick/BBC
The sculpture was found at Mergate Hall near Norwich

A sculpture suspected of being the work of Henry Moore was not made by the renowned artist, a BBC show revealed.

The artwork, previously used as a water feature and a door stop, would have been worth up to a million pounds if it had been sculpted by Moore.

It was assessed by the Henry Moore Foundation, based in Hertfordshire, as part of BBC One's Fake or Fortune? programme.

Owner Neil Betts said: "It will go back to being a door stop again."

The piece was found in the long grass of Mergate Hall, near Norwich, when retired dairy farmer Mr Betts was strimming it back for his neighbour.

Henry Moore
Henry Moore is famous for his sculptures of people with bumpy forms and hollow spaces in their bodies

The show, which aired on Wednesday at 21:00 BST, saw hosts Philip Mould and Fiona Bruce visit Norfolk to investigate the sculpture.

Mr Betts and his wife Barbara inherited the piece from their neighbour.

When she died, she left it to the Betts who subsequently used it as a door stop and to hang a hosepipe on as part of a water feature.

It was only when a friend suggested it looked very much like the work of Henry Moore they began to see it in a different light - and started to call it "Henry".

Ben Fitzpatrick/BBC Henry Moore-like sculptureBen Fitzpatrick/BBC
The sculpture would have been worth a small fortune if confirmed as a piece by the Yorkshire-born artist

The couple sent photographs of the sculpture to the Henry Moore Foundation in Perry Green, Hertfordshire.

It has the authority to decide whether previously uncatalogued pieces are genuine works by Moore (1898-1986), who was from Castleford in Yorkshire and studied at Leeds School of Art and the Royal College of Art in London before finding international fame.

They were interested enough in the sculpture to ask them to submit it to their Review Panel.

But the panel concluded: "Unfortunately the panel is agreed the work is not by Henry Moore."

Instead the Fake or Fortune? investigation pointed in the direction of Norfolk sculptor Betty Jewson, who used to live at Mergate Hall.

Art dealer and programme presenter Mr Mould said despite it not being a Moore piece he had been "impressed by its presence and boldness".

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