Chinese Export Silver Epergne, ca. 1890
GUEST: This is a silver "epergné," I believe. It's a centerpiece for a lovely flower arrangement. I inherited this from my mother, who i, inherited it from her great-aunt. It's just been in the family for the last 60 years.
APPRAISER: Any ideas on where great-aunt may have gotten it?
GUEST: She and her husband, who I believe was a diplomat, uh, did live in China for a period of time, I believe between the '40s and '50s. And she acquired it then, along with some other silver pieces.
APPRAISER: Do you have any idea what she paid for it?
GUEST: No, no idea whatsoever.
APPRAISER: (chuckles): Now, when you first came to the table, I immediately thought, "Why on Earth did they send this to Asian art?" Because this is very much so a European form, an English form.
GUEST: Mm-hmm, yes.
APPRAISER: And it's "epergne." (chuckles)
GUEST: There you go.
APPRAISER: Now, epergnes are absolutely used for flowers. They're floral display vases. Every single one of these vases has a separate motif. And looking at them, my colleague and I immediately thought... (snaps fingers) "Japanese." Ah. But it's not Japanese.
GUEST: Aha, the plot thickens.
APPRAISER: The plot thickens. (laughs) The English vase that looks Japanese is actually Chinese.
GUEST: (exclaims)
APPRAISER: On the base, there is a mark. Now, every single piece comes off. And when we look at the base, we have a little mark.
GUEST: Aha. Oh, I see it.
APPRAISER: It says "Shanghai Qingyun Company." The Qingyun Company was active from 1783 to between 1890 and 1900.
GUEST: Mm.
APPRAISER: I would say this most likely dates to the late 19th century...
GUEST: Ah.
APPRAISER: …1880 to 1900, to what's, uh, called Guangxu period. In the Qing Dynasty.
GUEST: Wow.
APPRAISER: Japanese craftsmen were in China.
GUEST: Aha.
APPRAISER: The Chinese craftsmen were going to Japan because they were trying to figure out, what do Europeans and Americans want? So looking at each, there's an, a different motif. On this one, we have bamboo. Bamboo is indicative of strength of character.
GUEST: Uh-huh.
APPRAISER: They’re the three friends of winter.
GUEST: Interesting.
APPRAISER: Over here, we have irises. Here we have cherry blossoms, plum blossoms. And finally, in the center, the strong pine tree, who's resilient and can last through the winter. It looks Georgian, but the mark on the base tells us a different story. And the decoration on it tells us a different story. What I would estimate it would sell for at auction today is between $2,000 and $4,000.
GUEST: Nice—that's excellent. Thank you so much. Great news. The family would be proud.
GUEST: (chuckles) And now they might want to know who's getting it. (both laugh)
APPRAISER: Now, I just wish we could put some flowers in it.
GUEST: (laughs) We could go get some, yeah.
APPRAISER: We might get in trouble.
GUEST: (laughing): Yeah, absolutely.
$2,000 - $4,000 Auction
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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.
