Early 18th-Century Mughal Embroidery
Watch
GUEST:
Our local art museum had a sale, and their workers could bring in items to put in the sale, as well. And it was purchased there from one of the workers then, about 30 years ago. That's how I got it.
APPRAISER:
And did you know much about it when you bought it?
GUEST:
Not really. I just knew a bargain when I saw one.
APPRAISER:
What was your bargain?
GUEST:
Ten dollars.
APPRAISER:
Ten dollars. You sure that wasn't too much?
GUEST:
Oh... Back then, it was a lot.
APPRAISER:
Well, thi, this is a very pretty piece. It's a very finely chain-stitched, embroidered Indian textile.
GUEST:
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER:
And it's silk embroidery. And it's 18th century.
GUEST:
All right.
APPRAISER:
Most likely it was made in Gujarat, which is in Western India...
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
...and that was the province of the Mughal Empire at that time. And so we often refer to these as Mughal textiles.
GUEST:
Mughal textiles.
APPRAISER:
And this is the classic medallion pattern. One of the things that I really like about it is the very curvilinear, flowing aspect to the design. There's such delicacy to the way the designs are drawn and extremely fine stitching. Probably the finest I've seen of its type. Now, these pieces, the opinion is that they were inspired by Queen Anne embroideries that came into India in the early 18th century. And they very quickly started reproducing them in this technique, and they were made both for domestic consumption and for the export market. So a lot of these went to Europe, and England primarily, as coverlets or canopies.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
Now, one of the interesting aspects of this is that it's made in three pieces. Anybody who's done fine embroidery knows that you can't do a huge piece very easily.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
And so here we see a seam running across the top. And look over here, where it really doesn't quite match up.
GUEST:
I see that.
APPRAISER:
And then over here, it really doesn't quite match up. Even though those don't quite match up, it's an extraordinary feat to be able to do those three pieces as well as they did. Now, let's talk about condition a little bit. First of all, the piece is very large. It's about 80 inches by 100 inches.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
The majority of the piece is in excellent condition. We do have a slight discoloration, here-- probably some sort of a water stain. There are also some very small holes scattered about. But it would be almost unheard of to find a piece of this age that didn't have some condition issues.
GUEST:
When you say 18th, is it, like, early, middle, late?
APPRAISER:
I think first half of the 18th century.
GUEST:
Oh, first half!
APPRAISER:
Yes.
GUEST:
Ooh, okay. Whoo!
APPRAISER:
Now, I would say that the value on this piece, conservatively, would be $15,000.
GUEST:
(laughing) Well, color me happy. Really?
APPRAISER:
And that's a, that's a retail value.
GUEST:
That's awesome.
APPRAISER:
The, the very best of these, when they're in excellent condition with no problems, bring $25,000 to $30,000.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
It's a special piece, really.
GUEST:
(exhales) Well, it's even more special now. (laughs)
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.
