Chinese Jadite Peach-Form Bowl, ca. 1900
Watch
GUEST:
This is a piece that's been in my family as long as I can remember, and I believe it was originally purchased by my grandfather.
APPRAISER:
Do you know about what date your grandfather acquired it?
GUEST:
If I had to guess, it would probably be sometime in the early 1900s.
APPRAISER:
It looks like a piece that would have been acquired somewhere around 1890 to 1920, which was about when it was made. It's a piece of jadeite that is in peach form. It was probably meant as a birthday present for a very wealthy person. Made in China in the latter part of the Qing Dynasty from beautiful multicolored jadeite, which was a highly revered stone in China, that started to be carved in about the 18th century. This was really a cabinet piece, a presentation piece.
GUEST:
Do you know what the wood is, what kind of wood that is?
APPRAISER:
It's a rosewood.
GUEST:
A rosewood.
APPRAISER:
Right, but beautifully carved and very complimentary of the example. Do you have any idea of what you think it might be worth?
GUEST:
I have no idea. My husband and I have been sort of having a disagreement over what it's worth, because I'd heard that jade had really plummeted in value as a result of the Chinese being able to machine-carve jade, and so I didn't think it was worth very much.
APPRAISER:
Well, that is true for a lot of jadeite, because there was a big boom in carving jadeite in the 1980s, and a lot of pieces came on the market and the prices became so astronomical, and then suddenly dropped because people knew that they were machine carved. But this is a tour de force, this is an exception to the rule here.
GUEST:
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER:
Now, at auction, currently, this piece would carry a pre-sale estimate of $40,000 to $60,000.
GUEST:
You're kidding. Really?
APPRAISER:
It's a marvelous example of its type. It's really an exceptional piece, beautiful color...
GUEST:
It is beautiful, I love it.
APPRAISER:
...tour de force carving. Thank you very much for bringing it in.
GUEST:
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.
