2nd - 3rd Century C. E. Roman Glass Bottles
APPRAISER: Tell me a little bit about them. Tell me what you know about them, how you acquired them.
GUEST: Well, I know they're from approximately the second and third century A.D., Roman glass. I found them on the border between Syria and Israel back in the late '60s. I was on an amateur dig with some Bedouin.
APPRAISER: And I noticed that some of them, like this example here, has some staining on the back, as does the larger example there. So tell me what you know about that.
GUEST: Okay. They were found lying down...in the mud, and so you had to bring them up very carefully, because sometimes when you bring them up, they shatter.
APPRAISER: And this one here, we notice, has... an extra little part in there.
GUEST: Yes. It was filled with kohl, K-O-H-L, which is eye makeup. And this is what they applied the kohl with.
APPRAISER: These are probably for table use. They're probably to contain oils, uh, or cosmetics. I would date them all pretty much to the second, third century A.D.
This one here is particularly unusual because it was found with the applicator.
GUEST: Oh, really?
APPRAISER: Most times the applicators and the pieces are separated. And you're absolutely right. It is a kohl container. It's an unguentarium. Kohl was an eye makeup that was used throughout the ancient world. The condition on them is excellent. There's no damage other than the encrustations that we see on them. There's a little bit of iridescence on here.
GUEST: Yes.
APPRAISER: And that is actually a deterioration of the glass. These are three absolutely authentic examples. In 1970, the UNESCO convention was drafted which prohibited the exportation of illegally pilfered items and illicit pieces. It was signed into law in 1972. But being that these were found and exported in the 1960s, these can be legally sold on the market. I would say at auction, we're talking about, for the three of them, in the vicinity of about $1,800 to $2,500, for the three of them.
GUEST: They're not going anywhere. (chuckles)
APPRAISER: I would insure them for a little bit more than that. I would say maybe $3,000 for the entire group.
$1,800 Auction
$3,000 Insurance
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Understanding Our Appraisals
Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."
Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.
Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.
Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.
Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.
Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.
