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Chinese Cinnabar Lacquer Box, ca. 1750

Value (2012) | $15,000 Auction – $25,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
Well, I had this great friend in Charleston who was a commercial artist for 40 years. And after he retired, he opened up his own antique business. And his love was Asian arts. And about somewhere between 15 and 20 years ago, he gave this to me because we had become great friends.

APPRAISER:
Well, you know, even at the time that he gave it to you, that was a very, very generous gift. And it was probably something that was in his own personal collection because it's an item that's just beautifully made. It's cinnabar lacquer, and it's Qianlong. It was made between 1735 and 1796. But are you familiar with the fruit that's on there?

GUEST:
Not really.

APPRAISER:
It's, I think, called a Buddha's Hand citron, and it's a lemon that grows with those tendrils like that on the end. And the Chinese refer to it as the Buddha's hand. And then it's all beautifully engraved with, like, these diaper patterns, every inch of it. This thing was a very complicated method of manufacture. What they used to do was, like, build up one layer of lacquer, then they had to let it dry under ideal conditions. And then they polished it, and it was another layer, and another layer, and another layer, and another layer.

GUEST:
Wow.

APPRAISER:
So there were hundreds of layers of lacquer built up for this kind of surface.

GUEST:
Incredible.

APPRAISER:
And then they took the piece and carved it. Well, this is the interior of the box, which is just black lacquer. You can see that little area where the wood is exposed for the material on the edge. And you can also see where there's, like, a kind of a crackling to the lacquer, which they usually call an alligator peel that you want to see on a piece. Well, this has some condition problems in that there are a few little chips on the interior. But it's something that could be easily taken care of. It's just a finely, finely made object, and probably from a scholar's table. Well, when he gave it to you, it was probably worth $1,200 or $1,500. So it was a good gift.

GUEST:
Nice gift.

APPRAISER:
But nowadays, a box like this is worth between, like, $15,000 and $20,000.

GUEST:
Wow.

APPRAISER:
And that value would be an auction estimate on that, yeah.

GUEST:
$15,000 to $20,000.

APPRAISER:
Yeah, yeah, it's a beautiful box.

GUEST:
I'm overwhelmed. I guess it'll go back to where it was, but...with a lot more reverence. Maybe a little velvet and better light.

APPRAISER:
Yeah, yeah.

GUEST:
I'm thrilled. I'm overwhelmed, it's wonderful.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
James Callahan
Asian Arts
Tremont Auctions
Newton, MA
Appraised value (2012)
$15,000 Auction – $25,000 Auction
Featured In
Myrtle Beach, Hour 2 (#1708)
Event
Myrtle Beach, SC (June 23, 2012)
Category
Asian Arts
Period
18th Century
Form
Box
Material
Lacquer , 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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