Antiques Roadshow

GUEST

Well, this was originally my grandparents'. I know it dates back to at least the mid-'30s because I have a picture of my grandparents with my father when he was about four years old. He was born in 1931, so that'd make it the mid-'30s, and this was, I guess, a cigarette case of hers, and now I use it for my cigar utensils.

APPRAISER

Do you happen to know what this is constructed of or from?

GUEST

I believe it's bronze and maybe white jade?

APPRAISER

Okay, you're correct. This is a Chinese white jade garment hook, beautiful white hue. A true white, which is very popular. The white jade hook would be from the 18th century, while the box was constructed likely in the first half of the 20th century. Today, all of the value is in the white jade. This would almost certainly sell to a Chinese client. And the Chinese client would buy it almost exclusively for the fact that it has a wonderful 18th-century belt hook or garment hook. And in some instances, I know of the Chinese buying items like this and simply just clipping the white jade out and tossing the rest, which is a shame, but that's kind of an economic reality at the moment. Do you have an idea of value?

GUEST

No, but I'm wondering if all the cigar smoke embedded there is going to take away from it. I quite like that.

APPRAISER

New jades look so glossy and so fresh, there's not a inch of residue that's gone into a recess. It's wonderful that there's dirt in the recess. I quite like that; that's going to help you. An auction or fair market value would be $2,000 to $3,000.

GUEST

What? Boy, that'd buy a lot of cigars, wouldn't it?

APPRAISER

There we go.

GUEST

Wow.