Steuben Acid-Cut Vase, ca. 1927
Watch
GUEST:
We call it the green bowl because we don't know anything else about it. It was a gift from a friend who's-- I apologize for giving her age on national TV-- but she's 82. And she knew that I liked all things Chinese and brought it to me and said I should have it. She was given it as a gift by her grandparents. And she said that her grandparents brought it out of China after the war. I don't know which war. My guess would be that it's Peking glass.
APPRAISER:
Well, it's a good guess to think that it is Chinese.
GUEST:
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER:
Mainly because of the design on it, which is a chrysanthemum design. And this was made definitely in the Chinese taste. It was intended to look Chinese.
GUEST:
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER:
However, it's not. It's actually American.
GUEST:
Really?
APPRAISER:
It was made in Upstate New York, in Corning, New York, at Steuben. And this is from the Frederick Carder era. And it was probably made somewhere in the late 1920s.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
It's an acid-cut jade green vase. This is wonderful technique that was made at Steuben. There are two layers of glass. You see how this is so much higher than the layer below?
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
And in order to create this design, this is cut away with acid.
GUEST:
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER:
This weighs quite a bit, actually.
GUEST:
Yes, it does.
APPRAISER:
It's a very heavy piece. It's not uncommon for this to be unsigned. I looked it up; I found it in the line drawings. It has a shape number, number 607A.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
And next to it, it says "carved." So it was acid-carved or acid-cut. It's a beautiful example of what they were doing in the 1920s. And today, in a retail shop, this would sell for between $3,000 and $3,500.
GUEST:
Wow. (laughs)
APPRAISER:
So it's a very nice gift.
GUEST:
Yes, it was.
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.
