'Antiques Roadshow' guest says 'oh my lord' after expert revealed the real value of her $400 bowl
Guests on "Antiques Roadshow" never have an accurate idea about the items that they walk in with, and when they do realize that they're a lot more precious than they thought, the reactions can be intense. Although wedding gifts and items picked up on a honeymoon are special because of the memories attached, sometimes the back story makes them even more valuable. That was true in the case of a wooden bowl that a woman bought for just $400 right after her wedding.
What appeared to be a simple wooden bowl was actually an artifact created by native Alaskans, and the expert revealed that it was worth a whopping $20,000. The guest was speechless for a while after learning about this value, before she broke down in tears. All she could manage to say was "Oh my goodness" and "Oh my lord."
You can watch the full video of the appraisal here.
The expert Anthony Slayter-Ralph mentioned that the bowl with a dark exterior and a face carved at the end dated back to the 1780s. He then added that native Alaskans always made such artifacts with spirit in them, known as the yua. The head carved at the end represented this spirit.
The appraiser also pointed out that while the bowl was largely intact despite traces of pigmentation, there was some damage that had been repaired. He also added that an auction may get a higher price than $20,000 for it after further research.
Another such guest, who had a tough time controlling her excitement after finding out the true value of her prized family heirloom, which was a Louis C. Tiffany Furnaces, Inc. Vase. The show's expert, Arlie Sulka, revealed that it was "a gem" before saying that a retail estimate on the item was about $50,000 at the time. This appraisal left the owner struggling to breathe.
The guest named Tiffany shared the incredible story of how the vase was passed down to her in the family. "It belonged to my great-grandmother, who was a New Yorker. She lived in Dobbs Ferry and then would winter in Manhattan, staying at the Waldorf. It was handed down from her to my grandmother and then to me," she shared with Sulka. She added that on her birthday, she and her mother were visiting her grandparents, which is when her grandmother decided to give her the vase. "My mother said to my grandmother, 'How about giving Tiffany,' which is my name, 'a Tiffany?'" she recalled. She further shared that there were two other "boring-looking" vases, hence she chose the one that looked different.
Sulka then took over to explain the significance of the item. "This vase was made at Louis C. Tiffany Furnaces, Inc. Oftentimes people are confused that there are two companies. There was Tiffany and Company and then there were the companies that were owned by Louis Comfort Tiffany," she explained. She added the other two companies made the "stained-glass lamps, and the windows, and the mosaics, and the blown glass, and the pottery."
Coming to the appraisal, Sulka estimated that in a retail setting, the vase would easily go for $30,000 to $50,000. "Oh, my God. Wow!" the guest said while breathing heavily. "Wow! I had no idea," she added. The appraiser told her that she was lucky to be named Tiffany as it got her the vase.
In the end, the guest shared that the name Tiffany actually came from the family dog and not the jeweler. Nevertheless, Sulka told her that she had a gem in her possession anyway.
