1883 Dominick & Haff Silver Tea Set
Appraised Value:
$15,000 - $20,000 (2002)
Updated Value:
$15,000 - $20,000 (2012)
IMAGE: 1 of 3
Update 12.17.2012:
We contacted appraiser Eric Silver for an updated appraisal in today's market. The original appraiser, Christopher Hartop, was not available.
• Current Appraised Value: $15,000 - $20,000 (Unchanged)
Appraisal Video: (1:52)
Appraisal Transcript:
GUEST: My grandmother wanted to give me an heirloom as a wedding present, and this had belonged to my great-great-grandmother. She had gotten it for her wedding, and it had just been passed down.
APPRAISER: So your great-great-grandmother presumably is the person whose monogram is on the base here?
GUEST: It's Ethie Flemming was her name, so it's E.F.
APPRAISER: So E.F., and that's 1883.
GUEST: 1883.
APPRAISER: This is one of the best examples I've seen of an Aesthetic Movement silver tea service. Now, Gorham and Tiffany, the two great makers at the end of the 19th century in America, they're very, very famous. There are two other firms, though, that I don't think get the same sort of attention, but some of their work is nearly as good-- in some cases, as good--as Gorham and Tiffany, and that's Whiting. And the other firm that's even less well known is Dominick and Haff, and they're the makers of this tea service. And they produced this wonderful range of Aesthetic Movement material in the 1880s. It's all based on Japanese decorative arts. You can see here the handles reminiscent of raffia covering there. And it all has this hand-hammered finish. And decorated with little fish swimming around and these wonderful dragonflies-- all based on nature. A wonderful combination of Asia and American, great exuberance in silver at this period. Have you got any idea how much this is worth?
GUEST: Not a clue.
APPRAISER: I hate to ask that, because I know you got it as a wedding present, so don't be shy, but...
GUEST: Maybe a couple thousand dollars. I have no concept.
APPRAISER: If this came up in a major auction, I wouldn't see any problem with this selling for between $15,000 and $20,000.
GUEST: Wow. Wow. Didn't expect that.
APPRAISER: It's a fantastic example.
This website is produced for PBS Online by WGBH Boston.
©1997-2013 WGBH Educational Foundation.
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is a trademark of the BBC and is produced for PBS by WGBH under license from BBC Worldwide.
WGBH and PBS are not responsible for the content of websites linked to or from ANTIQUES ROADSHOW Online.
PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
