Lalique "Escargot" Vase, ca. 1920
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GUEST:
Actually, this was… belonged to my parents, and they got it from my dad's dad, and he got it from… his mother.
APPRAISER:
Okay. Have you ever had it looked at professionally or appraised in any way?
GUEST:
It's just been in a, uh, closet for at least 40 years, that I know of.
APPRAISER:
Well, I personally love the work of René Lalique. Lalique is perhaps the best glass designer of the 20th century, and this happens to be one of my favorite pieces. It's called "Escargot," or "The Snail." Every Lalique piece has a title, and this one speaks for itself. I'm going to show you… the signature on the bottom. It's signed "Lalique" just very simply-- it looks like it's been scratched on there-- but that is an authentic signature. You often find that signature on this vase, the "Escargot," which was designed in 1919, and made through the '20s and into the early '30s. This one, too, has the great inside color. You can see by looking into the neck that's it's yellow on the outside and kind of an opalescent milky on the inside. We call this casing, where two layers of glass are made into one piece. And casing gives the whole vase a kind of luminescence in the yellow. Another great thing about this piece it has that color on the outside that looks like dirt, looks like grime, but isn't. That kind of brownish staining is actually original patina put on the glass in the Lalique factory when it was made, probably in the early '20s. So this is a great example of a colored, Art Deco Lalique vase, "Escargot," a real, real nice one. And it happens to be a rare one, too. Did you bring it today because you thought it might be valuable?
GUEST:
No, my dad just asked me to… take it down. He said it could be anywhere from $500 to $5,000. He didn't have a clue, and I have no idea whatsoever.
APPRAISER:
Well, you can tell your dad it's worth a lot more than that. This "Escargot" today is worth probably at least $15,000.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
And it could be worth even a little more. $15,000 to $18,000 would be my guess on it. A fabulous piece, great thing. I'm really glad you brought it.
GUEST:
Wow, that's good.
APPRAISER:
Thank you. Take care of it.
GUEST:
Yes, I will. Won't drop it.
Appraisal Details
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