Early 15th-Century Chinese Bodhisattva Gilt Bronze
Watch
GUEST:
I think it's a bodhisattva, it's a figure of the Buddha, and this is a repose position. It has gilt, but it's worn off. There's a missing arm. I thought it was so beautiful, I didn't mind the damage. I almost didn't have a chance to acquire it, because I was having 15 people for lunch. There was a local person who was a colorful character in Kirkwood, so I really wanted to get to his garage sale. I rushed out and the dealers had been there for two days before, so I thought everything good would be gone, but when I saw this, I thought it was so beautiful, I just grabbed it.
APPRAISER:
May I inquire what you paid for it?
GUEST:
Probably between $75 and $100, which was a lot for me. It was about 20 years ago.
APPRAISER:
Well, it is interesting that it was omitted from consideration by the dealers for two days. This, in fact, is a gilt bronze figure. Beautifully seated, Wenshu, bodhisattva of insight. Beautiful drapery, there's ribbon work. Very fine, reticulated hands. Wonderful rope and jewelry work. The rolled fly whisk is beautifully cast, and there is Rubenesque, or a chubby quality to the face, which is indicative of the age and period. It's a beautiful face of compassion. Slightly down-tilted. Looking at the figure, there are some features of early bodhisattvas. A truncated, or, for want of a better word, skinny waist. The jeweled chest. The very deep and fine drapery of the robe, and seated in Royal Ease. And Royal Ease is really a characteristic of very early Buddhist art. The dating would be approximately early 15th century, or early Ming Dynasty. The consensus is that it did have a base. The base that is often associated and cast with these objects is a post, and then a similar, conforming lotus base. So it's raised, it's revered, it's elevated, as a Buddha should be. The quality of this Buddha is so fine, the age is such a Golden Age of Buddhist art, that we would not be surprised if the original base had an inscription, and that it's possible that that base may have had an imperial inscription.
GUEST:
Oh, really?
APPRAISER:
It would be very, very difficult to prove that it was for the imperial household or from an imperial workshop, as there's no inscription. I think those who understand Buddhist works of art from that period would look at this object and say it's beyond a very wealthy patron's quality of bronze. So it's likely that the quality would indicate that it's an imperial piece.
GUEST:
Do you think it's Chinese?
APPRAISER:
It is Chinese.
GUEST:
Okay, that's what I, that's what I thought.
APPRAISER:
It's of no real consequence that the gilding is gone. We would be shocked and suspicious if the gilding was there. Yes, you're missing a hand. Yes, you're missing an arm. These are old objects. These are somewhat fragile objects. Although bronze is hearty, it is brittle. Objects get dropped. They're detached. Any idea what it may be worth in today's market after what I've said?
GUEST:
To me, it was worth $100 or whatever I paid, so I didn't really care.
APPRAISER:
A very conservative retail price would be $100,000 to $125,000.
GUEST:
(quietly) Really? Are you really serious? (laughing) Oh, my goodness. I can't believe it.
APPRAISER:
It's a wonderful object.
GUEST:
Well-- my goodness. (laughing) I can't believe it.
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.
