'Antiques Roadshow' guest reveals the appraisal for his heirloom was 10 times more than he expected
Taking care of seemingly ordinary items that have been in the household for a long time may pay off in the long run if they turn out to be vintage. Viewers of “Antiques Roadshow” are aware of this, even though guests are mostly clueless about the true worth of their possessions. One such guest walked in with a china cup and saucer set, hoping for a hefty appraisal, but was stunned after the expert revealed its value.
The reason why the item was so special is that it had royal roots. It once belonged to one of the most important people in Europe, the Empress Augusta of Germany. The china set was given as a gift to the Reverend Pocock and was a part of the Empress’s personal collection.
Along with the china set was a letter that proved that it indeed was a gift from German royalty. The guest revealed that it had belonged to his mother, who had passed away. He was the executor of her will, and this particular China set had been left in his cousin’s name. The letter stated that the cup and saucer were made in the Royal Manufactory in Berlin. Empress Augusta was the wife of Kaiser Wilhelm, an important figure in German history.
“The Royal Manufactory in Berlin is perhaps best known for its initials, KPM. One specialty of the factory was topographical decoration. That’s porcelain painted with landscapes and views. Usually, they’re views in Berlin and they were given as royal and diplomatic gifts,” the expert explained. This cup also had a painting of what seemed to be an important building in the German capital.
“I recognize this view as the Electoral Palace in Koblenz. And this was the building where the Empress, when she was Princess Augusta, and Prince Wilhelm, lived in the palace here in the early 1850s,” the expert added. He then whipped out a small magnifying glass to examine the finer details of the artwork on the porcelain cup. He hailed the level of detail that had gone into the art as he spotted every little window and chimney that made it look like the real thing.
The expert said, “So, a costly cup and saucer when it was given. And a true heirloom indeed, because now, a piece like that, with the royal provenance, I guess it’s going to be £4,000 ($5,436), even £5,000 ($6,795)." The guest’s mouth was wide open as he revealed that he had expected its value to be 10 times less than what he had just learned. “We talked about it in the car on the way here and had sort of guessed at around £400 ($544),” the guest said. The expert then revealed that it was a cabinet piece and “special indeed.”
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