Russian Imperial Porcelain Factory Easter Egg, ca. 1845
Watch
GUEST:
This came down through my father's side of the family. My great-great-grandfather was one of the original Müller Quartet members, and they played for the Duke of Brunswick, they played all over Germany, and then in the 1840s, they started expanding their tour a bit and going throughout Europe. They were invited to play for the Tsar of Russia in 1845. They played for Tsar Nicholas the First. And this was a gift that they received from Tsar Nicholas the First in 1845.
APPRAISER:
So that's the family history, that's the provenance, is a gift from Tsar Nicholas the First.
GUEST:
That’s the family history. Yes. Yes
APPRAISER:
Okay. And you guys believe that?
GUEST:
Yeah, that's the story that's come down.
APPRAISER:
Okay, let's start out with what we know. Okay, this is a painted and gilded porcelain egg. Now, it is Russian, and it is indeed made by the Imperial Porcelain Factory in St. Petersburg. They're unmarked, but I've asked my colleagues around and we're pretty certain it's made by the Imperial Porcelain Factory. And the big question is the date. Now, 1840s was when he was there.
GUEST:
1845 was when they played in Moscow.
APPRAISER:
That's very typical that you find this type of egg that was actually used as a gift from this time period. Now, you were very curious about what it depicts here.
GUEST:
Yes, very much so.
APPRAISER:
I believe it's a depiction of St. Alexandra at prayer.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
Very typical with the crown and the ermine cloak. Now, the reason we have to guess is because typically, the name of the saint is actually painted across the bottom, but it's not there. And there's something that's really unusual that we find on Russian eggs like this and throughout Europe in this time period, is this wonderful gilded border. And as you look to the outside of it, you've got this white line that pulls the whole cartouche out of it and really makes the painting pop. It's very finely painted. And on the back, we have a very nicely burnished cypher, and it's a beautiful sunburst and a nice triangular cypher with Cyrillic in it. We don't know what the initials are, but with a little additional research, we would be able to find out what they are.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
So very common to also have the silk ribbon that runs through it. It's just a delightful little egg. Have you ever had this appraised?
GUEST:
No.
APPRAISER:
Any idea?
GUEST:
It never really left the house.
APPRAISER:
Okay, never allowed to leave the house. Never allowed to leave the house until today. Well, at auction today, I would expect that this would bring around $8,000.
GUEST:
Wow. That's amazing. (laughs) That is amazing.
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.
