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Lalique "Caryatide" Supports, ca. 1920

Value (2016) | $20,000 Auction – $30,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
They were given to me by my parents, who bought them in Paris shortly after World War II. They were decorators, and they went to Paris to go to school.

APPRAISER:
Okay, has anyone ever told you anything about them, what they are or who made them or...

GUEST:
I know they say "Lalique" and to me, the mystery, let's say, of the little groove on the top. I don't know their model number.

APPRAISER:
Well, the little groove on top-- and I'll just tip it down a little so we can see it better-- it's there for a reason, of course. They are not, as they may appear, candlesticks. They're simply called "supports," and the correct title of them is "caryatid," as you've discovered, support caryatide, and they were designed to be placed around a centerpiece on a table, and this little groove, rather cleverly, would hold a garland of flowers, natural flowers, which would be tied together rather like a daisy chain and then garlanded throughout them, perhaps in an arrangement of six or eight or so. They are by Lalique, René Lalique. We can see the signature on the bottom of this one, "R. Lalique, France," and they were made in the early 1920s. They were displayed in what is perhaps Lalique's most triumphant affair, the Paris Exhibition of 1925. It's an exhibition from which we get the term Art Deco, in fact, and I think these are an extremely Art Deco pair of supports, or ornaments. They're also very rare. They're in Lalique's signature, clear and frosted, satin-finished glass. They're in very high Art Deco style with, you might say, an Egyptian taste throughout them-- very elegant, very refined, important pieces of Lalique. Now, tell me, have you ever had them valued, or has anyone ever suggested...

GUEST:
No, I've never had them valued. I've only read a magazine article on a pair of collectors in New England, who... and the article on them specifically photographed a pair of caryatids like this.

APPRAISER:
Okay.

GUEST:
But no valuation was assigned to them. Since there's such a wide range of valuations within Lalique, I figured I'd bring them down.

APPRAISER:
Lalique can start at a few hundred dollars-- even the older Lalique-- and go well up. These are in the higher range. I would say today, in a good auction-- they're very much desired by collectors-- they would be estimated to sell for at least $30,000 for the pair and maybe as much as $40,000 or even more. So, great pair, and very exciting to see here in New Orleans.

GUEST:
Excellent. Much higher than actually what I had thought. More in line with what I would like.

APPRAISER:
Well, wrap them carefully when you leave.

GUEST:
I shall.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Nick Dawes
Decorative Arts, Glass, Pottery & Porcelain, Silver
Heritage Auctions
Dallas, TX
Update (2016)
$20,000 Auction – $30,000 Auction
Appraised value (2001)
$30,000 Auction – $40,000 Auction
Featured In
New Orleans, Hour 1 (#0619)
Vintage New Orleans (#2022)
Event
New Orleans, LA (August 11, 2001)
Category
Glass
Period
Art Deco
Material
Glass

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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