Weller Perfecto Vase, ca. 1905

Appraised on: July 19, 2008

Appraised in: Chattanooga, Tennessee

Appraised by: Riley Humler

Category: Pottery & Porcelain

Episode Info: Chattanooga, Hour 2 (#1311)

Originally Aired: April 6, 2009

IMAGE: 1 of 2  

Appraisal Video: (2:15)

GUEST: My family is in the funeral business, and this vase sat in the office of the funeral home. My grandmother passed away in 2004, and all the stuff from the estate we numbered and drew numbers for who was going to receive the different items that were around the house and everything. So that's how I acquired it, and I don't know much about it. There's a little signature on the side and I can't figure out what that is.

APPRAISER: It's from Ohio.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: This is a piece of Weller pottery, which was made in the Zanesville area. This is actually a fairly rare line that Weller produced around 1905. It's referred to either as Weller Perfecto or Matte Louwelsa. One of the things that's a giveaway is the color, one that you see on nothing else that Weller made. These initials here-- LJB-- are for Levi J. Burgess, who was one of Weller's better decorators. He was actually related to Sam Weller, who was the owner of the pottery. It was his nephew. It's in excellent shape. The decoration is wild roses. The piece has a little discoloration on it, which probably could be cleaned up.

GUEST: Yeah, I've never tried to clean it up or anything like that. I was always afraid to use any kind of cleaner or anything on it.

APPRAISER: If you used a mild cleaner, it probably would brighten up just a little bit, but it's in excellent shape, otherwise. We seldom see the Perfecto; we certainly don't see them in this size. It's a very large piece. And I think, probably, we're looking at between $2,000 and $2,500 at an auction...

GUEST: Wow!

APPRAISER:...for a piece of this quality and this size.

GUEST: Well, it's beautiful. And it'll definitely be put where my children can't knock it over now.

APPRAISER: And you told me it had sand in it before.

GUEST: Yeah, it was filled with sand so it wouldn't get knocked over. To transport it here, so it'd be lighter, I dumped the sand out.

APPRAISER: You were worried that the sand might be...

GUEST: Yeah, I was... Yeah, since it did come from the funeral home, I was worried that it... that it might not be sand in there, you know. So, when I dumped it out, I was... I was happy to know it was just sand in there. It was just sand.

APPRAISER: Yeah.

GUEST: Thanks very much.

APPRAISER: Thank you.