Daum Monumental Vase, ca. 1900

Appraised on: August 21, 2010

Appraised in: Washington, District of Columbia

Appraised by: Kathleen Bailey

Category: Glass

Episode Info: Washington, Hour 1 (#1516)

Originally Aired: May 23, 2011

IMAGE: 1 of 1  

Appraisal Video: (2:04)

GUEST: I inherited it from my mother. She probably purchased this 60 years ago, 60 to 65 years ago. She got it at auction.

APPRAISER: Do you know what she paid for it?

GUEST: Well, my mother was known never to pay more than $200 for anything at the auction.

APPRAISER: Oh, that's wonderful. If we turn this upside down-- well, I'm not going to go all the way, because it's very heavy...

GUEST: Right.

APPRAISER: Can you see the "Daum Nancy" on the bottom?

GUEST: Yes, and I had never known that there was anything on the bottom before. I guess I never looked.

APPRAISER: It is a signed piece. So that tells us that this is a Daum piece from France, circa the late 19th century, into the 20th century. The Daum brothers actually started out making tableware and glassware and covers for dishes... general household items. And then they went to this, which is amazing. We have an acid-cut piece with floral design. We have butterflies, we have gilding, enamelwork, and these are cabochon glass jewels. This is very, very unusual to have glass jewels and we have them around the piece. The piece is 25 inches tall, which is monumental in size.

GUEST: I know, it's...

APPRAISER: The color is a sunshine yellow. I would put this today in a range of $18,000 to $25,000, with the higher end likely being more of the retail end of the market.

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: It's a beautiful piece.

GUEST: I always see people that say, "I can't believe it," but I can't believe it. But it's wonderful. Ooh! I'm going to be very careful when I take it home now.

APPRAISER: Yes.