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20th-Century Kwele Beete Gon Mask

Value (2012) | $2,500 Retail – $3,500 Retail
Watch  

GUEST:
I think it's a...more of an Eskimo, kind of an Alaskan walrus mask.

APPRAISER:
Why do you think that?

GUEST:
Because it's got the tusks right there.

APPRAISER:
Does it look like a scary mask to you, or...?

GUEST:
Yeah. It looked appealing... scary.

APPRAISER:
And where did you get it?

GUEST:
I got it at an antique mall. We were looking, and then there's a back room full of all kinds of stuff that no one really looked at. So we went back there. There was a couple more masks. They weren't as appealing to look at, and they weren't as cool, I guess. And that one stood out, and I really liked it. So we decided to get it. The man that owned the collection of masks had died. The things were auctioned to the man owning the antique shop. And...he was selling them for $80. So we happened to buy that one.

APPRAISER:
That's what you paid for this one? $80? How do you display it at home?

GUEST:
We set it down on a curio cabinet.

APPRAISER:
Just flat on the table like that? It's not Eskimo and it's not a walrus. It's a mask that comes from Africa, and it's from a country called Gabon, which is on the west coast of Africa. Most of these African countries are made up of tribes. And the tribe this belongs to is called the Kwele tribe. And they have these sort of secret societies and things in the tribe, and they take the images that they want to make the masks from the animals in the area. And in fact, this is called a gon mask, it's a gorilla mask. The gorillas when they get very savage, they bare their teeth, and they have these very long incisors, and that's what these are here. These incisors. They're a particularly fanciful group of people. They wear these crazy masks, and they have lots of weapons, and they dance around, and it's really pretty spectacular. Now, the mask is made out of wood. It's hard to say exactly when it was made. It's definitely 20th century, and probably made in the last 20 or 30 years. Now, a lot of the masks we get, they're really not made for these tribal uses. They're really made just to sell to tourists. We think this is a mask that's been used, and we can tell that. I'm just going to take it off here, so that you can see it. In the back, we look for some signs of wear. And if you look at these sort of holes here, they're starting to wear through. And you can see this wear along the edges. So even though it's not so old, it's a real mask, and it's been used, which is a huge difference in these sort of things. Now, have you any idea what the mask is worth? Well, you paid $80 for it, okay? Would you be surprised if I said that the retail price would be between $2,500 and $3,500?

GUEST:
I mean... yeah.

APPRAISER:
Don't you think that's a good return on $80? I think it's great.

GUEST:
Absolutely great.

APPRAISER:
What are you going to do with it now?

GUEST:
Not set it on the coffee table.

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Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Anthony Slayter-Ralph
Ancient Art
Anthony Slayter-Ralph Fine Art
Appraised value (2012)
$2,500 Retail – $3,500 Retail
Featured In
Cincinnati, Hour 3 (#1712)
Event
Cincinnati, OH (July 21, 2012)
Category
Ancient Art
Period
20th Century
Form
Mask
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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