Art Nouveau Silver-Plated Vase & Plateau

Appraised on: July 12, 2003

Appraised in: Savannah, Georgia

Appraised by: David McCarron

Category: Silver

Episode Info: Savannah, Hour 3 (#812)

Originally Aired: April 12, 2004

IMAGE: 1 of 2  

Appraisal Video: (2:07)

GUEST: It's a vase that my wife gave me for my anniversary about 25 years ago, and a plateau to go with it. I'm not quite sure where she bought it, but she paid, like, $100 for the vase and $50 for the plateau.

APPRAISER: Okay, and did they tell her that they went together, or...?

GUEST: They indicated they went together, and that's what she told me, anyway.

APPRAISER: Do you know anything about the maker or where it came from?

GUEST: It's signed "C. Leven" and there's no other mark that I can find anywhere. And I have probably spent about 50 hours trying to find some information out on it, and "C. Leven" is about all I know.

APPRAISER: Okay. Well this plateau, it's marked here, that's the Elkington and Company, a company in Birmingham, England. And they were one of the premier makers of silver-plated items. In some ways, they're credited with starting the electroplating process. And this is a plateau that would have been used as a decorative item, sometimes with very large centerpieces on it and very, very nice silver-plated, floral base with a mirror here to give a lot of punch to anything in the center of a table that was on it. This vase is very typical Art Nouveau. Wonderful, striking piece with a beautiful woman and a flowing gown. These ginkgo leaves. And it is marked over here. That looks like "C. Leven," but it's really an "H. Leven." It was "Hugo Leven." German. Born approximately 1874. Very well known for Art Nouveau sculptural works. Did a lot of work for the company Kayserzinn. And just a very beautiful, striking Art Nouveau vase. Now, they had nothing to do with each other; it's purely coincidental that these are together. Your wife paid $150 for the two. Such a striking piece by a good artist. I would say this one... $3,000 to $4,000.

GUEST: Whew! Yes!

APPRAISER: Okay? And then this one considerably less, but Elkington and Company, premium brand, I would say $300 to $500 at auction.

GUEST: Fantastic.

APPRAISER: That's an auction price as well, okay?

GUEST: That's great.

APPRAISER: That's a nice buy. You wife had a great eye.