Antiques Roadshow

GUEST

I inherited these bowls from a very, very dear friend of mine.

Mm-hmm. GUEST

Uh, she was an artist and an art teacher.

APPRAISER

Mm-hmm.

GUEST

And she passed away about ten years ago. They're beautiful. I sit them in the nooks of my bookcases. (laughs)

APPRAISER

Yeah. They're beautiful for that, that's for sure. And do you know who made them?

GUEST

These bowls were made by a local artist named Bob Stocksdale. And my understanding is he had a studio right here in the area, on Kings Mountain.

APPRAISER

Mm-hmm.

GUEST

So, um, uh, my friend who left them to me used to visit him and hang out with him.

APPRAISER

Yeah.

GUEST

And over the years purchased various bowls that he made.

APPRAISER

They're beautiful. I think that Bob Stocksdale is certainly one of the most well-known woodturners in America. He, he was one of the first guys to start. He, he took the whole art form to another, another level. He really has made a big difference, and some of his turned bowls are amongst the best that anyone has ever done.

GUEST

Wow.

APPRAISER

When I saw you, uh, un, unveil them on my table, I thought, "Oh, my God, those are Bob Stocksdale, and they're so fantastic!"

GUEST

(chuckles) You recognized them?

APPRAISER

I did, I did.

GUEST

Wow.

APPRAISER

I've been a turned-wood fan for a long time.

GUEST

Oh.

Bob Stocksdale was a really interesting man. One

he was a conscientious objector during World War II, which was very unusual in America. He spent time in various prison camps in America, and, and, uh, he ended up moving here, California...

GUEST

Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER

...and, and began making bowls, uh, after the war, after the war was over.

GUEST

Yeah.

APPRAISER

And he did that, uh, for his whole career. He made about 200 a year. Uh, he dies in 2003, but, but that's a lot of bowls. Made about 8,000 bowls.

GUEST

Hm.

APPRAISER

And he kind of pioneered the whole art form.

GUEST

Mm.

APPRAISER

And one of the things he's most well-known for is using really cool, exotic wood. And, and if you look at the four that you have...

GUEST

Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER

...they're all different, they're all interesting.

GUEST

Yes.

APPRAISER

And people would send him wood from around the world, and he would make them a bowl out of it.

GUEST

That's funny. Because he was a local artist, I assumed these, at least most of them, would be local wood.

APPRAISER

These are woods that are beyond my...

GUEST

Okay,

so... APPRAISER

...common furniture knowledge...

Right. APPRAISER

...to be honest. The ebony I recognize.

GUEST

Right.

APPRAISER

But the rest of them are, you know, not something that you see every day.

GUEST

Okay.

APPRAISER

These were produced in the '90s, which is sort of the middle of his career.

Mm-hmm. APPRAISER

Kind of tailing off a little bit, but was still, he was very active at this point. People collect them.

GUEST

Okay.

APPRAISER

Collect turned wood.

GUEST

Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER

But, but it's not something that's really taken off yet, and it's still moving forward. But one of the things I did see was, this one has been cracked.

GUEST (gasps)

No!

APPRAISER

And it has cracks in several different places, and that's going to really affect the value. And I think his work is as good and as beautiful, and, and actually tells the tale of woodturning in America as well as anybody.

GUEST

Hm.

APPRAISER

I really love his stuff. Do you have any idea what these pieces are worth?

GUEST

I have no idea at all. (laughs)

APPRAISER

Yeah-- do you have any idea? You're going to make a guess?

GUEST

Um... Maybe a couple of hundred dollars?

APPRAISER

Uh, well, you're a little low. You're a little low.

GUEST

Oh.

APPRAISER

They're worth more than that. Their sizes are sort of middle. Their, they, there are bigger ones, sometimes bring a little bit more money.

GUEST

Hm, mm-hmm.

APPRAISER

But I would say for these three, the three in good shape, we're looking at somewhere between $900 and $1,200 apiece at auction.

GUEST (gasps)

What?

APPRAISER

So, like, $2,700 to $3,600 for these three at auction.

GUEST

Oh!

Hm. (laughing)

That's wonderful. That's a lot more than I thought they would be worth.

APPRAISER

Yeah, yeah, they're great, they're...

GUEST

So I'll have to talk to my insurance agent now. (laughing)

APPRAISER

Absolutely. This one that's broken is probably worth a lot less. Well, maybe $100 to $300, somewhere in that vicinity.

GUEST

Yeah, well,

thank you. (laughing)

I'm very pleased.

APPRAISER

Yeah.