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Related | 1919 Howard Chandler Christy "The Spirit of America"

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Appraisal Collection | All Our Appraisals from Colonial Williamsburg, Hour 2

Related | Playboy "Womb Chair" Spread

Related | Playboy "Womb Chair" Spread

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Late 19th-Century Chinese Famille Rose Charger

Value (2009) | $8,000 Auction – $12,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
I've acquired this piece from my mother. It was handed down to me from her after she had passed away.

APPRAISER:
Do you know where it's from or how old it is?

GUEST:
Actually, I do not.

APPRAISER:
Okay.

GUEST:
History goes back to my mom's third cousin, and her husband had purchased it in the Far East, I believe in the mid-'50s.

APPRAISER:
Okay.

GUEST:
So in a way I've actually stared at this bowl ever since I was...

APPRAISER:
A young man.

GUEST:
...about four years old. I believe it was on a fireplace mantel.

APPRAISER:
It's a very impressive porcelain charger. It's Chinese. This decoration on the ground is millefleur, which describes this heavy profusion of foliate sprigs on a scrolling ground. And often it's on a gold gilt background. Additionally, these famille verte or famille rose Chinese porcelain chargers have wonderful cartouches. In this instance, we see blackbirds with lotus sprigs. The central cartouche shows highly and well-enameled phoenix over a rockwork base. We have bamboo. Overall it's a highly and well enameled charger. On the back it has a Qianlong mark.

GUEST:
Yes, I saw that mark, and I was wondering, was it Ming Dynasty or something of that nature?

APPRAISER:
Right. It's not a Ming mark. It's a Qianlong mark.

GUEST:
Qianlong?

APPRAISER:
Qianlong, who was an emperor that reigned in the 18th century.

GUEST:
18th century?

APPRAISER:
Items from the Qianlong period are highly sought after. It's arguably the period of the best Chinese porcelains, the best Chinese bronzes and the best decorative arts. So the Qianlong mark is there. However, it's not an 18th-century piece. It's a late 19th, early 20th century piece.

GUEST:
Is it a reproduction? Is that what you're saying?

APPRAISER:
It's not a reproduction. The Qianlong mark is out of reverence and respect...

GUEST:
I understand.

APPRAISER:
...for the very high quality of artists and work during the 18th century. Do you have an idea of value?

GUEST:
I believe when my mother was alive she said, I think in 1989, 1990, it was in the $1,300 to $1,700 category.

APPRAISER:
Okay, that may have been a fair price then. The Chinese are buying well-enameled porcelains and high-quality decorative arts with more vigor than ever before. There's a booming middle class in China, and they wish to consume good quality decorative arts. Those that cannot afford 18th century and imperial pieces are buying good 19th century famille verte and famille rose porcelain works of art. I would place an auction estimate of $8,000 to $12,000.

GUEST:
You said how much?

APPRAISER:
At auction, between $8,000 and $12,000.

GUEST:
$8,000 to $12,000 in an auction, wow. And if it were from the 18th century?

APPRAISER:
(laughing) It's... Six figures. It's a lot of money.

GUEST:
Yeah, I can imagine. It's a huge sum of money.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Robert Waterhouse
Asian Arts
PKR Antiques & Fine Art
West Palm Beach, FL
Appraised value (2009)
$8,000 Auction – $12,000 Auction
Featured In
Raleigh, Hour 2 (#1402)
Event
Raleigh, NC (June 27, 2009)
Category
Asian Arts
Period
19th Century , 20th Century
Form
Plate
Material
Enamel , Porcelain

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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