Antiques Roadshow

GUEST

I bought it in New York City about 20 years ago. Over 20 years ago, probably.

APPRAISER

And it was in a gallery, shop, what kind of...?

GUEST

No, it was a dealer who sold it to me. She was actually selling Haitian art, and she had a couple of bronze statues, and I just took to it immediately. I thought it was so beautiful, and so statuesque, and I relate to bronze ladies. So I thought, um, I just related to her totally.

APPRAISER

It's really a wonderful piece. As you know, it's signed. It's by an artist named ngel Botello. He was interesting, he's sort of one of these Renaissance characters, because not only did, did he do sculpture, but he did paintings, he did watercolors. He was born in Spain in 1913. And he studied in Paris. He studied architecture at the cole des Beaux-Arts and he also studied painting. And it's interesting that you said that you bought this in a gallery that specialized in Haitian art, because he lived in Haiti for a number of years. And then, in 1953, he wound up in Puerto Rico. He's probably the most famous sculptor in Puerto Rico. It was probably done in the early 1980s.

So you have this lovely little seated girl. GUEST

Yes.

APPRAISER

Seated child. It's charming, made out of bronze. It's very modern-looking, stylized. She has this wonderful flat face, which I find very appealing. And this is nice, long neck.

GUEST

Right.

APPRAISER

And then her dress has this great, great sort of pebbly, textured surface, which I think is nice. And so what did you pay for this when you bought it?

GUEST

Oh, gosh. It's been so long, but around... I, I know I paid $1,000. I know it was a lot of money for me at that time 20 years ago. I had art before, before I had furniture. But I was just, again, so taken by it, and just thought it was so lovely, I just put the money out.

APPRAISER

His work is very, very desirable. The market is very, very strong for works from Puerto Rico, from artists from the Caribbean. This is a great, great piece. The value in a gallery is probably about $10,000.

GUEST

Okay, nice. Really nice. (laughs)