Tabriz Carpet, ca. 1900
GUEST:
Well, it belonged to my great-grandmother, who lived in Milwaukee on the lakeshore. And then, when the house was torn down, they moved and then gave the rug to my grandmother. Her house was west of Milwaukee.
APPRAISER:
Shown here in the photograph?
GUEST:
That, I think, was taken in the late '20s or '30s.
APPRAISER:
Well, it s always great to have documentation like this. We know at least that it's from 1920.
GUEST:
Oh, yes, yes...
APPRAISER:
This is a Tabriz carpet woven in northwest Persia. And it emulates the style of the classical carpets that were woven in the late 16th and early 17th Century. It's about a nine by 12. And being from about 1900, it's right about when the revival of weaving in Persia was getting in full swing. And they take certain design elements from the classical carpet. But because it's being made 200 or 300 years later, it has its own feeling for the market of that day, because these were being woven for export. So, this cartouche that we see here at the top of the medallion probably would have originally had writing in it.
GUEST:
Oh, really?
APPRAISER:
But they've just done floral decoration now. The beautiful scalloped medallion exhibits some of the earth tones that are in the carpet, which are indicative of an earlier date. The later carpets would have been woven with synthetic dyes and would have been much more harsh.
GUEST:
Ohh... Is this natural dye?
APPRAISER:
Many of these dyes are natural. It's in a transition period where some are natural and some are synthetic. But overall, the feeling is with earth tones, and that's what's important for today's market. If you move down here, one of the most interesting aspects are the animals in the carpet, which go back to the early classical hunting carpets. And these animals also appeared in the miniature paintings from that same period. Now, the early examples also had riders on horseback that were shooting arrows.
GUEST:
Oh, my.
APPRAISER:
But, again, that has dropped out the design in this particular carpet. It's very finely woven.
GUEST:
It's wool?
APPRAISER:
It's all wool. It's in wonderful condition. I can't believe the condition that it's in. I can't find any worn spots.
GUEST:
Oh, my.
APPRAISER:
So you've certainly taken good care of it.
GUEST:
We did have it moth-proofed.
APPRAISER:
Well, that's good. I don't see any evidence of moth damage or wear.
GUEST:
Oh, my.
APPRAISER:
If I had this in my gallery, I would sell it for $25,000.
GUEST:
Oh, my, really?
APPRAISER:
Yes.
GUEST:
Oh... Wow.
APPRAISER:
This is a retail or replacement value.
GUEST:
Oh, well... I thought maybe $5,000. Well, I'm glad I brought it in.
APPRAISER:
I'm glad you did, too.
Appraisal Details
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.
