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Renaissance Revival Center Table, ca. 1880

Value (2014) | $3,000 Auction – $5,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
My great-grandfather had what I was told the largest mercantile store west of the Mississippi during the mid, late 1800s. The table came to him when a fellow was commissioned to do the table. He came to my great-grandfather and asked him if he could get his groceries on credit while he was building the table. He told him that when he finished the table, he would then pay him for the groceries. When the table was finished, the man who commissioned the table tried to pay the artist less than what he originally agreed upon, and so he told him, "Forget it, I'm going to give the table to my friend who helped me out during this time." And so that's how my great- grandfather got the table.

APPRAISER:
Well, it is a spectacular, grand table.

GUEST:
Thank you.

APPRAISER:
And we were having conversations about it, the other furniture appraisers, and there was some disagreement on whether or not it was an American table or a European table.

GUEST:
Oh, interesting.

APPRAISER:
And the reason for that is that it has such Germanic qualities to it. We settled on American because there is secondary wood under the table, which is pine. The table itself is walnut, and it has this great burled walnut veneer on the top.

GUEST:
Yeah, it's beautiful.

APPRAISER:
And you can see how beautifully it's matched in this quarter section so that you have a bookmatch veneer. The table was late 19th century. We would call it a Renaissance revival table. And it really is looking to Europe for its inspiration. And if you look at what the craftsman did with this table, at the base especially, he brings in a lot of history. You see that there's an Egyptian figure inlaid here, and then also a griffin figure, which is body of a lion, eagle wings-- it's really a mythological figure. And then also this warrior. During the 19th century, Victorians were collecting all sorts of things, and they're collecting stories in this table for sure. And then there's this lovely ivy border around the top of the table, which symbolizes friendship and fidelity and...

GUEST:
Oh, okay.

APPRAISER:
So it's really sending us a lot of messages. Family history tells you that it was made in California. That's sort of a stretch for me.

GUEST:
Why is that?

APPRAISER:
Well, because they were not really making a lot of furniture like this in California that early.

GUEST:
Oh, interesting.

APPRAISER:
Most of the furniture that we see of this quality is happening in the New England area into New York, Chicago. Sometimes family stories, they can morph a little.

GUEST:
I have no doubt.

APPRAISER:
I would say that it's probably got an auction estimate in the $3,000 to $5,000 range.

GUEST:
Oh, very good.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Karen Keane
Decorative Arts, Furniture
Skinner, Inc.
Boston, MA
Appraised value (2014)
$3,000 Auction – $5,000 Auction
Featured In
Santa Clara, Hour 2 (#1914)
Event
Santa Clara, CA (June 07, 2014)
Category
Furniture
Period
19th Century
Form
Table
Material
Pine , Walnut

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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