Tiffany Glass & Decorating Co. Bronze Mosaic Inkwell, ca. 1900
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GUEST:
Well, in the 1970s I visited a flea market in Orlando. Noticed it, and I decided to buy it.
APPRAISER:
And how much did you spring for it?
GUEST:
It couldn't have been more than five dollars, I'm sure of that. I was attracted to the artwork around it, but I loved the coloring.
APPRAISER:
And did you know what it was?
GUEST:
An inkwell. (chuckling)
APPRAISER:
Well, it is an inkwell, actually. It's a very, very rare inkwell. If we look on the bottom, we see that it's not signed, but it has a number. And usually when things have a number, there's a maker's mark on it, but this doesn't have a maker's mark. It's a very interesting work by the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company. We know it as Tiffany Studios. But it didn't become Tiffany Studios until around 1900. It is in the Art Nouveau style with this wonderful interlacing design, and you have this mosaic here that has some iridescence on it. Now, the mosaic ones are very, very rare, and this was very early on in Tiffany's production. And while the standard desk set pieces have pattern names, this doesn't have a pattern name.
GUEST:
Oh.
APPRAISER:
We've seen these before, and they usually show up without their lid. And we always thought that they were a pen wipe. Further research we found out that it was an inkwell with a little top to it. A tiny, tiny little top to it.
GUEST:
Oh...
APPRAISER:
And it is possible if you located the original top, that you could have a reproduction cast in bronze. I think it would be nice to give it an idea of what it actually is supposed to look like. But it really wouldn't affect the value. Another one of these came up with that same number on it, that's the model number. The last one at auction brought about $6,000.
GUEST:
Oh, my gosh. I'm shocked. It is lovely, but... $6,000?
APPRAISER:
But, what do you think it's worth if it had the original tiny little cover on it?
GUEST:
I don't know.
APPRAISER:
$15,000 to $20,000.
GUEST:
Oh, my gosh. (chuckling) I'm shocked. (chuckling) Lovely, thank you. Not bad for five bucks, huh?
APPRAISER:
Certainly.
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