Jardinière on Pedestal, ca. 1890
![](https://www-tc.pbs.org/prod-media/antiques-roadshow/__sized__/Images/Bismarck_20140531_05/201401A21/anro-001908-wa201401A21-1920x1080-crop-c0-51__0-38-676x380.jpg)
GUEST:
This is a piece that was given to me from my father, who received it from my grandfather. And he received it from a lady that he repaired shoes for back in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
APPRAISER:
How long ago did your grandfather get this gift from this lady?
GUEST:
He opened the shoe shop that he had in 1918, and so I'm guessing it has to be somewhere, like, near the '30s, maybe.
APPRAISER:
It's such a good example of its type. The concept of what we call a jardinière on pedestal, basically a plant stand designed to stand in the corner of a room in a bay window and have a fern in it or a big tropical plant or something, is not an unusual idea. It starts in the Victorian age and goes through certainly until World War II. They were still very popular. So many of them were made, and most of the ones we see, by the way, at ANTIQUES ROADSHOW have very little value. But this is such a nice one. First of all, it's French, probably southern French, I would think, and in a way, the best ones are French. They made great ones, too, in England, but the French have a style about them, particularly with this organic type of design, these natural flora, that cannot be beaten, I think. It was probably made about 1890. It's made in a palette of glazes that we call majolica, and majolica is a brand, if you like, of ceramic art that began in England in about 1850, but by this time was made in France and elsewhere. It's got all the right colors to make it really pop. This rich colored ground, what we call cobalt blue ground, is what people look for. It’s very strong, it’s very powerful, it’s very appealing. If this had a different palette of colors, if it didn't have the cobalt blue as the main color, let's say it was white or yellow or something pale, it would be worth a lot less. The condition is terrific. Your grandfather clearly looked after it. I think if it was in the right place in the right antique shop, it could certainly carry a retail price of $3,500.
GUEST:
Oh, wow.
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.