Republican Period Porcelain Vases, ca. 1930
GUEST:
My son's great-grandparents lived in Japan shortly after the war and they brought back quite a few items. And when they passed away, this was left to us and I know nothing about them.
APPRAISER:
They're actually copies of an 18th century pair of Chinese porcelain vases. They're marked with an 18th century date that's here on the bottom. That's the Chien-Lung reign, which is 1735 to 1795, which it also says here on the label. It says the first two characters of Chien-Lung. And then it says they're antique imitations, one pair. If these were without this box, we would have all kind of assumed at the table that they were modern reproductions. But you can see the wear to the stands, you can see the wear to the box itself, or where these things have abraded over the years. This box confirms that they're actually Republican in period, that they were made sometime between 1911 and 1949 and probably right in the 1920s, 1930s. They're beautifully painted with those wonderful winter scenes and in very, very fine porcelain. What did you think they were worth?
GUEST:
I really had no idea. Maybe... $30.
APPRAISER:
With this whole presentation, I would expect this pair to sell for around $15,000.
GUEST:
Wait. (laughing) $15,000 even though they're reproductions?
APPRAISER:
Yes.
GUEST:
I'm speechless. I... I'm speechless. I can't believe that. You're certain?
APPRAISER:
I'm more than certain.
Appraisal Details
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