Late 19th C. Reproduction Chanfron
GUEST: My father was a collector of arms and armor here in the Bay Area. He acquired the piece somewhere in the mid-'90s from a collection in the East Bay. All I know about it is that it's a chanfron. I believe it was European.
APPRAISER: So what is a chanfron?
GUEST: My understanding is that a chanfron is a horse's armor for its head. But I didn't know if this would've been more of a ceremonial or parade piece, versus something that it would've worn into battle.
APPRAISER: Well, it clearly would've been something f, for ceremonial purposes. And one of the reasons we'd say that is because of the etching. You have these two panels of these winged harpies, and you've got two naked warriors at the base with their spears and their shields, and you have these fluted panels etched with these sort of bold foliate scrolls. So you wouldn't have invested money in your horse armor with this type of decoration...
GUEST: Sure.
APPRAISER: ...to lead it into battle. In many instances, a knight, by his very definition, was a mounted soldier, and he would go to parades and other functions where he would embellish his armor to show his status and his rank. This is a Maximilian-style chanfron, uh, which would date to the first quarter of the 16th century. This would have been the style that was popular in Germany at the time.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: The trick with most armor of this period is determining whether or not it's correct.
GUEST: Sure.
APPRAISER: And whether or not it's a later reproduction.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: Many of the reproductions are relatively smaller, and this is obviously a very monumental piece, uh, which would have been the proper size. So the first clue to us is that, yes, it's the large size of it and the quality of the decoration. There's even some damage at the base that would indicate age. But the real test in determining the age of armor is to turn it around. This would have been forged metal, and as such, it would have been hammered on an anvil. And the interior surface shows no real evidence of hand-forging.
GUEST: Sure.
APPRAISER: And in general, the thickness of the metal is of a uniform. So I would say that this is a late-19th-century reproduction.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: But immensely attractive. Have you given much thought to value?
GUEST: I know my father paid a few thousand dollars, probably, for it. I, I don't have a clue of what the market is like currently on it. I mean, I could throw a number out there and probably embarrass myself. (chuckles) So I, I would say maybe $4,000?
APPRAISER: Renaissance horse armor to begin with is extraordinarily rare, and particularly decorated examples, but oddly enough, equally as scarce are reproductions.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: At auction, I would estimate its value probably around $5,000 to $10,000.
GUEST: Fantastic.
APPRAISER: And I think it would actually probably do much better.
GUEST: Sure.
APPRAISER: 'Cause it's really, it's a handsome piece.
GUEST: Fantastic, thank you so much.
APPRAISER: If this were not a reproduction, I would estimate its, uh, auction value at around somewhere between $200,000 to $300,000.
GUEST: Wow.
APPRAISER: Better luck next time.
GUEST: (laughs)
$5,000 - $10,000 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.
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