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Elijah Pierce Preaching Stick, ca. 1950

Value (2017) | $15,000 Auction – $50,000 Insurance
Watch  

GUEST:
My grandfather had actually two occupations, one as a barber and one as a woodcarver. He took time in between shaves and customers to whittle, which is what he called it. He started with little animals, and making zoos for his wife. And as he carved them for his wife, he began to make bigger objects. This here represents one of his items called the preaching stick.

APPRAISER:
Your grandfather was Elijah Pierce.

GUEST:
He was actually my father's father.

APPRAISER:
And his barbershop was in Columbus?

GUEST:
In Columbus, Ohio. Ohio.

APPRAISER:
And was he well-known within the neighborhood as...

GUEST:
Oh, definitely. Children, adults, especially those, he cut their hair, also knew a lot about him. And then being a preacher, they knew about him in the church.

APPRAISER:
It was something that he used in preaching, is that right?

GUEST:
When he needed to tell a story to those he was cutting hair, he would pick something on that, or he would use it for his sermons on Sunday, as well.

APPRAISER:
You'll see his brush for shaving, the cup, the comb, and brush. Back in those days they had the ice trucks. He was highly religious, so you will see the cross and the two thieves on each side of the cross on there. Well, it is a remarkable piece

GUEST:
Thank You.

APPRAISER:
of African-American art.

GUEST:
And history.

APPRAISER:
It speaks to his personal narrative and his religious fervor and spirit. So it's all kind of present on this preaching stick. In looking through the books in which this piece has been illustrated and exhibited, the consensus seems to be that it was carved somewhere around 1950. For a long time, these pieces have been thought of as American folk art. Correct. There is now enormous interest in the artwork of self-taught African-American artists, because in this particular category, the expression and the intensity of what is depicted on these works of art is really central to the maker's being. The highest price for a piece of work by Elijah Pierce is $87,500.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
The auction estimate for this work would be somewhere in the vicinity of $15,000-$20,000.

GUEST:
Okay.

APPRAISER:
If it were to be sold at auction, which we know...

GUEST:
No.

APPRAISER:
is not going to happen. For insurance purposes, I would say $40,000 or $50,000.

GUEST:
Okay.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Nancy Druckman
Folk Art
Sotheby's
New York, NY
Appraised value (2017)
$15,000 Auction – $50,000 Insurance
Featured In
St. Louis, Hour 2 (#2208)
Event
St Louis, MO (July 08, 2017)
Category
Folk Art
Period
1950s , 20th Century
Form
Cane , Walking stick
Material
Wood

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.

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