Niloak Missionware Vase, ca 1925
Watch
GUEST:
This is part of my grandfather's collection. It was in one of his rooms that he had at the house and he always had American flags in it.
APPRAISER:
Where was your grandfather from?
GUEST:
From Nebraska. I think it's Arkansas clay.
APPRAISER:
You had asked someone about it once. You asked a museum one time to tell you about the piece. And what did they tell you?
GUEST:
Well, they said that they didn't make one this big.
APPRAISER:
Well, you know it's Niloak. And it was made in Benton, Arkansas. The company was run by the Hyten family, Charles Hyten. And around 1912, Mr. Hyten started making these pieces with, probably, Arkansas clay.
GUEST:
Mmm.
APPRAISER:
And the idea was to get different-color clay and throw them together to get this swirl effect.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
And it's become known as missionware.
GUEST:
Oh, uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
And it works very nicely with mission furniture-- with a lot of decor.
GUEST:
Oh, wow.
APPRAISER:
We're going to tip this over. Here's the Niloak mark right here. It's N-I-L-O-A-K. Do you have any idea where the name Niloak comes from?
GUEST:
No.
APPRAISER:
It's actually "Kaolin" spelled backwards. Now, kaolin is the main ingredient in porcelain.
GUEST:
Oh.
APPRAISER:
Now, this is not porcelain. This is earthenware, it's made out of native clays, but that's where the name comes from. And Niloak started making pieces of missionware around 1912...
GUEST:
1912.
APPRAISER:
...and probably made them until the 1940s. So it's difficult to tell exactly when this was made, but somewhere in that time frame. What's really impressive about this piece is the size. And I would think that the man who threw this literally had to be a very hefty, strong man. There's a lot of clay in this piece. Where I have seen pieces like this, it's typically a sand jar. And a lot of times, they would be used in the front of a Masonic temple, where you would have sand in it to put cigarettes out.
GUEST:
Oh, uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
So they were oftentimes made in pairs. But there aren't many of these. Even though the market for American art pottery is pretty soft right now, this is an exception, because it's so big.
GUEST:
Uh-huh.
APPRAISER:
I believe, in an auction setting, that we're probably looking at this piece selling for between $5,000 and $7,000.
GUEST:
My goodness, I'd have never expected that.
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.
