1827 French Boulle Inlay & Mahogany Strong Box
Watch
GUEST:
This is a strongbox, it was my mother's, and it was given as a wedding gift by my father's grandparents.
APPRAISER:
Okay, now, how did the, your father's grandparents acquire it?
GUEST:
Their daughter married a baron from Moscow.
APPRAISER:
Right.
GUEST:
And it came overseas, and was given to them as a, one of the gifts, I think to get on their good side...
APPRAISER:
(chuckles): Okay.
GUEST:
... as, as a future son-in-law.
APPRAISER:
Well, they, they may well have done the right thing. So we know that it's a strongbox.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
It's actually French, not Russian.
GUEST:
Okay. And it's made of mahogany.
APPRAISER:
And then we have what's called Boulle inlay, or brass inlay. And it's after the designer André-Charles Boulle.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
Who did inlays in the 17th century, and they continued throughout furniture making. We know that there's some information on the lock plate on the inside. So why don't we open this up? We have "Aucoc," and that's for Louis Aucoc, who started a firm around 1823. And then we have "by appointment to the king." And then we have his address, which is Rue de Saint-Honoré, number 154, Paris. And then we have a date, 1827, which was in the reign of Charles X. He ruled from 1824 until 1830. On the interior, you can see that there was something else in here-- a lining. And do you have that?
GUEST:
No, I do not.
APPRAISER:
And then you have all of these clips on the interior. And I think that there are a number of trays that you would clip in, probably at least two to three. And when those were revealed, you had, this is mahogany, and then, this is actually rosewood for your coins. So it was a traveling strongbox. If we close this down again... ...you have this wonderful brass inlay around the sides, and then you have this coat of arms here, this crest, which we have been unable to determine what it is, but if you were able to, it might increase the value. My colleagues and I, we put our heads together. Although it is lacking some elements-- the interior tray liners and the stand-- it's a wonderful example of furniture from the Charles X period. And we would assign an auction estimate of $5,000 to $7,000.
GUEST:
Okay, great.
APPRAISER:
If the strongbox were intact, it would be in the range of about $15,000 to $25,000.
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.
