Beatrice Wood Group, ca. 1970
APPRAISER:
You brought us some really lovely examples by Beatrice Wood.
GUEST:
My grandmother was very close with Beato. She corresponded with Beato on a regular basis. When I was young, we lived nearby her studio. We would go there with, either with my grandparents or my parents.
APPRAISER:
She came, as you well know, from a very proper, wealthy family. And I think especially her mother had all sorts of ideas and concepts for her to follow. While Beato went ahead with, with the education that was asked of her and kind of coerced...
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
...she really wanted to do her own thing. She was a free spirit.
GUEST:
Yes. And my grandmother was, as well. I believe they met in Hollywood, possibly in the '30s, attending a, I, I think it was a ceramics workshop.
APPRAISER:
She was a fairly prolific potter. All three of these pieces are signed. Usually her items are signed "Beato" for Beatrice Wood.
GUEST:
Hm.
APPRAISER:
And we do not have dates. She worked in a similar style for quite a few decades.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
So, often something that would look like this, thrown like this, and with a volcanic glaze will date anywhere from the 1970s through the '90s.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
And that one most likely in the same time. This drawing, these are self-portraits, even though she was much older than that in the 1960s...
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
...when she was doing those. She was well in her 60s, I believe. And so these were all passed down in the family.
GUEST:
Yes. That one was given to my wife and I as a wedding gift. This one came down through the family after my grandparents passed.
APPRAISER:
This is a particularly nice, large size for her.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
The texture of the glaze is great. The color is great. It fired beautifully. So I would put a pre-auction estimate of $3,000 to $4,000.
GUEST:
Wonderful.
APPRAISER:
This is a really lovely bowl, and it's kind of a large bowl, so perhaps $2,500 to $3,500. Her works on paper are not as much in demand. A self-portrait like this, most likely in the $700 to $900 range.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
Okay?
GUEST:
Wow, wonderful. This is, that's great to know.
Appraisal Details
Wood’s childhood nickname stuck, and she began to signing all of her pottery as BEATO.
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.