Dragon Dog Bronze Ornaments, ca. 1880
Watch
GUEST:
This dragon was at my mother-in-law's house from the time I can remember.
APPRAISER:
Where is the house?
GUEST:
The house is in Newport, Rhode Island. My in-laws bought the house in the 1950s, and the house was built in 1881. This dragon, with his-- he has another dragon that goes with him-- were original to the house.
APPRAISER:
Okay, so, age-wise, it's exactly where I would put these, around 1880, 1881. The monumental size was something that the Victorians were doing with all of the revival styles. It's not an andiron, it's not a chenet, it really is an ornament for the front of the fireplace. And like you said, it would have a pair, a matching pair.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
And this chain would swag across to protect from the fire. It's bronze. Along the top here, you can see traces of silver plating. So I think it was silver-plated at one time, and heat and age have kind of worn it away.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
It's a classic mixture of different elements that you see in Victorian style all the time. You have a hippocampus tail, you have harpy claws and wings, you have this crazy serpent-like dragon neck. The face to me is the most interesting, because it's not a dragon face at all.
GUEST:
Not at all.
APPRAISER:
It looks like a Scotty or some other terrier. And my best guess is, this was a whimsy put together by the original owners, and this dog head may have been a pet of theirs that they were sort of commemorating or honoring.
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
That's quite wonderful. So, we don't know who the maker is, it's likely a custom piece. It's unusual and it would be an unusual taste. Assuming that the mate is in similar condition to this one, I think a fair auction estimate would be $5,000 to $7,000.
GUEST:
Very nice.
APPRAISER:
It's a very nice example.
GUEST:
Thank you.
APPRAISER:
You're welcome.
GUEST:
I think we'll keep 'em.
(both laughing)
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.
