Tussie-Mussie with Fitted Box, ca. 1869
GUEST: I believe it is a wedding bouquet holder that was given to my great-grandmother at her wedding in 1869. It was found in the attic as we were cleaning out my father's estate. You were the first one that showed me that those legs opened up.
(both chuckle)
GUEST: We've been s, scared to move it around too much.
APPRAISER: So why do you think they open?
GUEST: So that it could stand at the table at the wedding afterwards?
APPRAISER: Yeah. So do you know what these are called?
GUEST: No.
APPRAISER: Okay. So they're referred to as a tussie-mussie.
GUEST: Tussie-mussie, okay.
APPRAISER (chuckles): Yeah, it's quite a name. So also a, like, a posy holder or a nosegay holder, made in the Victorian era. So the dates of your, um, ancestor fit in perfectly. Queen Victoria was on the throne, um, from 1837 to 1901. But the form originated in the Middle Ages.
GUEST: Really?
APPRAISER: There were odors of the, of the day, so you would have a small bouquet mixed with flowers and herbs that you'd be able to have with you on your person at all times...
GUEST: Excellent.
APPRAISER: ...to rid the odors, and at the time, again, these sort of, you know, odors were thought to sort of carry disease. So you protect yourself, but became really popular during the Victorian era, because Queen Victoria used one. You'd hold it in your hand. So there's a little ring here which you could put on your finger, or, women of the day would wear a chatelaine, which was, um, sort of a, a group of accoutrements that they'd wear from their, their belt or a sash.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: And there's also a pin to be able to pin it to your clothing. And at the time, too, there was sort of this language of flower, silent language of flowers.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: So depending on what flowers were in the bouquet, it could have silent, a meaning.
GUEST: Yes.
APPRAISER: So you, you've brought a, a note...
GUEST: Yes. ...
APPRAISER: with you-- what is that?
GUEST: The note is inscribed by my great-grandmother. And we felt it was rather racy, saying that this was given to her on her wedding day by her "lover."
APPRAISER: Yeah, and it's...
GUEST: Who was actually her husband.
APPRAISER: Oh, good.
(both laughing)
APPRAISER: That was the question I had. Would have been racier if it hadn't been her husband.
GUEST: Absolutely.
APPRAISER: Didn't see any markings on it. It's made out of a filigree, fine wire of silver. It's either silver or silver plate. Value-wise, it's a funny item. They're not usable in today's society as much. My sense is at auction, you'd be looking in the $300 to $500 range.
GUEST: Interesting.
APPRAISER: For insurance purposes, you can see them online for upwards of a $1,000.
GUEST: Very good-- thank you so much.
APPRAISER: Sure, yeah.
GUEST: Learned a lot.
$300 - $1,000 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.
