Empire Mahogany Marble-Top Table & Portrait Painting
GUEST:
My husband inherited both of these pieces when his grandmother passed away. This was my husband's grandmother’s grandmother’s piece. She was from Camden, South Carolina, and her husband died in the Civil War. His last words were, "Forward, men." And so she took her four boys and went to Sewanee, Tennessee. They were living in Atlanta when the Great Fire of Atlanta happened in 1917. So they had to go back to their home place in Camden to get more furniture because all of the furniture had burned. So they got this and this.
APPRAISER:
As I look at this portrait, there is a real sadness in her eyes, and she's also all in black.
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
So, I'm assuming that this could have been perhaps after her husband passed away in the Civil War.
GUEST:
I think so.
APPRAISER:
And I would date the portrait in the 1860s.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
This is oil on canvas piece. So you're saying that this person owned this table.
GUEST:
That is what we believe.
APPRAISER:
Yes. Well, I would say that you've got an 1860 painting, but you have an 1820 table. So the table is much older than the picture itself.
GUEST:
Wow, really?
APPRAISER:
So the table-- let's talk about this table, because this is my favorite part of this combination here. Oh, my gosh, that's so cool. This is an American Empire occasional table. In 19th-century inventories, this table would have been referred to as having an Egyptian marble top. And the Egyptian marble refers to this black figured marble. And it's so dramatic. And the table really holds all of its drama as we go down and look at the base of this. You can see this wonderful acanthus leaf carving on the table, which is beautifully articulated, and then there's another little architectural element called an anthemion.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
What my concern is, where was it made in America?
GUEST:
I wanted to ask, yes.
APPRAISER:
I would say it's probably Philadelphia, made about 1820.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
Any idea of its value?
GUEST:
When she died, everything in the house had to be appraised.
APPRAISER:
Right.
GUEST:
And it was appraised for $500.
APPRAISER:
What year was the table appraised?
GUEST:
2007.
APPRAISER:
Well, I would say that this table, if we were to see this at auction, we would probably estimate it in the $10,000 to $15,000 range. It's just a really spectacular example of this American Empire classical period. I love it.
GUEST:
Oh, my gosh! I really love it.
APPRAISER:
When it's a family portrait, it's priceless.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
Correct. However, if this were to enter into the marketplace, I would say $800 to $1,200 on a painting like this.
GUEST:
Wonderful. This is such a great day. Thank you. Oh, good. Thank you.
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.