ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / ECONOMY & WORK

'Antiques Roadshow' seller gasps in disbelief after expert revealed the value of her 1895 biscuit jar

A biscuit jar might not sound like an ancient artifact, but the beauty of this one was not ordinary.
PUBLISHED MAR 25, 2025
The guest listening to the appraisal for the jar (Cover image source: YouTube | Antiques Roadshow)
The guest listening to the appraisal for the jar (Cover image source: YouTube | Antiques Roadshow)

It's not always paintings and vintage watches that get a high valuation on “Antiques Roadshow.” Sometimes, the most mundane-looking things could turn out to have historical significance that makes them precious. That was the case with a biscuit jar brought to an earlier episode of the show, which had a number of artistic elements associated with it.

Screenshot showing the guest and the expert on
Screenshot showing the guest and the expert on "Antiques Roadshow" (Image source: YouTube | Antiques Roadshow PBS)

The woman who brought it said that it was a gift from a dear friend, and based on its appearance, she believed that it was manufactured in England, but the bottom of the jar had the word ‘Napoli’ inscribed on it, which was in Italy. It turns out that neither of those countries was where this jar was created, and its origins were in the United States.

Popular expert Arlie Sulka revealed the interesting history behind the object. She mentioned that the jar was made by a company named Mount Washington, which made different kinds of glasses, and Napoli was a kind of glass that they used for this particular biscuit jar. The expert was confused about the item’s origin at first as well, but when she lifted the lid and saw the letters MW underneath it, all the speculation was laid to rest.



 

Mount Washington was a company that was founded in the year 1837 in South Boston, Massachusetts, and by 1870, it was moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts. Among the most striking elements of the jar were several paintings on its surface. The expert revealed that these were illustrations made by legendary Canadian author and illustrator Palmer Cox, who wrote the Brownies series. The characters painted on the glass were from that series.



 

Sulka also revealed that Mount Washington had merged with Pairpoint Glass in 1894, and the new company saw the opportunity to make such jars, which came with intricate glasswork and sturdy metalwork. She also revealed that Napoli glass was only made from 1894 to 1896 and that the piece on the table was made by none other than Albert Steffin, who was the head of Mount Washington at the time. The most impressive part about the item, however, were the paintings, much like other Mount Washington products.



 

“What’s so interesting is, you see the painted figures on the outside, but those are painted on the interior. It’s not on the surface so you can only imagine how difficult it must have been. And then you have this beautiful gilt webbing, which is typical, and there are some pinched areas. It has a nice handle with a tied twig design,” Surla explained.



 

It was then time for the appraisal of the product. “In terms of value, something like this at an auction could easily bring between $4,000 and $6,000,” the expert said. The guest gasped after hearing this. “Oh my word. I had no idea. That’s great,” she said as she took another look at the biscuit jar with a huge smile on her face.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The sharks did not expect the product to taste as good as it did, considering what it was made from.
5 hours ago
The designer was also commissioned by top brands and worked for the royal family.
6 hours ago
The host had a look of bewilderment on his face which was absolutely hilarious.
7 hours ago
Things did not seem to be going well for the entrepreneur due to her high energy.
10 hours ago
The guest might have had high expectations, but they were quickly brought down to earth.
11 hours ago
The contestant was unable to contain her excitement and hugged the model.
1 day ago
Two of the players got it right, and while the player who lost didn't mind, fans were not satisfied.
1 day ago
Lisa celebrated her birthday in style with a perfect two-card guess to win the big prize.
1 day ago
Rick Harrison did what he could to console the guest who said that he had lost faith in NASCAR.
1 day ago
Both the guest and the expert were fascinated by how well the automaton worked.
2 days ago
One of the entrepreneurs broke down in tears, explaining all the struggles they had to go through.
2 days ago
She couldn’t believe it when her doll was appraised at a five-figure sum, and laughed in disbelief.
2 days ago
Ken Jennings truly has embraced "Jeopardy!" in every way possible at this point.
2 days ago
The comedian was impressed by the simplicity of the product and amused by the pitch.
3 days ago
Harrison usually makes smart deals on the show, but this vintage car buy turned into a costly mistake.
3 days ago
Had she started the game in a better way, she might have won the five-figure prize money.
3 days ago
Barbara Corcoran made the exact same offer, and she wasn't happy about being rejected.
4 days ago
The guest believed that it was worth a modest amount of money, but that was clearly not the case.
4 days ago
With James Holzhauer in the lead, Amy Schneider and Andrew He decided to joke around.
4 days ago
Barbara Corcoran told the founders that she had never seen Greiner so passionate.
4 days ago