Nepalese Copper Repoussé Votive Plaque, ca. 1880
Watch
GUEST:
This was my late father-in-law's. And we don't know where he got it, or how long he had it. We figure he probably got it in the '60s. He seemed to have a special affinity for Asian art, and this was one of the things that was in this apartment.
APPRAISER:
Do you have any idea what it is?
GUEST:
We believe it's Tibetan. We don't know what it is-- possibly a prayer screen or a painting. Other than that, not a clue.
APPRAISER:
Well, it's actually Nepalese.
GUEST:
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER:
Now, a lot of Nepali artists and artisans worked in Tibet.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
This is a 19th century shrine. It's a votive shrine that would have been in someone's house.
GUEST:
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER:
Probably the latter part of the 19th century. It normally depicts the god Vishnu, who is the protector, one of the Hindu gods. He normally has four arms. Right. Here the divinity has two, and it's probably Avalokitesvara, who is the Buddhist god of compassion.
GUEST:
Oh, that's nice.
APPRAISER:
Surrounded by supportive divinities and what they call apsaras, which are flying bodhisattvas at the top. The detail work, here you have dragons, makara dragons, all throughout the outside framed edge. And you have associate divinities all around the sides. This is a copper repoussé plaque. Essentially the whole piece of this is made of copper that has been either wire overlaid or punched out in high relief. Nepalese craftsmen were known for their great repoussé work, their stonecutting work, and their filigree work. So you will see all sorts of semiprecious stones here, you will see rock crystal, you will see tourmaline, you will see malachite, coral, and you will also see bone inlay here as part of the pillars. This is really master craftsmen at work. Probably one to do the inlays, and one to do the repoussé work, which would have maybe taken two or three months. At auction, it would bring somewhere in the vicinity, even with a little bit of restoration work down here, it would bring between $15,000 and $25,000.
GUEST:
You're kidding.
APPRAISER:
No.
GUEST:
That's wonderful.
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.
