Antiques Roadshow

GUEST: This Chinese urn, I-- it's been in our family for over 110 years.

It was given to my great-grandfather, he was a prominent figure in Chicago, by a missionary.

Inside the bowl here, there's a pi-- there's a piece of paper in there.

And it says "Old Ming Dynasty, 300 years old."

And it's dated on the back of it 1910.

APPRAISER: We can find on the inside...

GUEST: Uh-huh.

APPRAISER: ...this is the label, as you mentioned.

"Old Bronze, 300 years old, Ming Dynasty."

This doesn't date from the Ming Dynasty, though.

The mark is here on the base.

"Yi Mao."

And it turns out that in the 19th century, 1843, exactly, there was a very famous vessel, famous at its time...

GUEST: Hm.

APPRAISER: ...unearthed and discovered in China, that was attributable to a famous duke during a period that goes all the way back to the Western Zhou dynasty.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: And so this was a very celebrated, rare find in its day.

What this bronze is, I believe, a... an 1843, circa, copy in the style of that ancient bronze.

GUEST: I see.

APPRAISER: It's called a ding vessel.

Back in ancient China, this was used for ritual purpose.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: They would put food offerings, wine offering.

When this was made during the Qing Dynasty, it would have been used, if used at all, to burn incense.

It would have been used as a censer.

GUEST: Probably why it's a little charred in there or whatever.

APPRAISER: They would put sand in here...

GUEST: Uh-huh.

Oh, I see.

APPRAISER: and then put incense sticks in it.

GUEST: Oh.

APPRAISER: This was combined with the base and the cover that we see.

Now, how do I know the cover is later?

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: Well, as a censer, a cover like this would have never been made for something that needs to be vented.

There's no vent in this cover at all.

GUEST: Oh, I see, I see.

APPRAISER: So it was made...

GUEST: Huh.

APPRAISER: ...it was sort of converted into a purely decorative object.

I would say that in terms of what this would have cost at the time, the bronze is of, is of high quality.

It's hefty, I think it would have been outside the means of anyone but a very high ranking scholar or official...

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: ...to be able to afford something of this type.

GUEST: Is this jade or is it, uh...?

APPRAISER: This is carnelian.

GUEST: Carnelian.

Oh, oh okay.

APPRAISER: This is a variety of agate called carnelian.

GUEST: Ooh.

I thought it was teakwood.

Is-is any idea what the wood is?

APPRAISER: This is a variety of rosewood.

GUEST: Rosewood APPRAISER: And this rosewood is-is what we call hongmu.

And hongmu is a, is a tree that grows in southern China.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: Do you have any idea of its value?

GUEST: I would just put something like $3,000, $4,000 on it.

APPRAISER: I think you're a little on the conservative side.

APPRAISER: If this were from the Ming Dynasty, it would not be substantially more money.

APPRAISER: I think it's more interesting historically, culturally, and I think even value-wise that it evokes that specific period...

GUEST: Uh-huh.

APPRAISER: ...when a-a great discovery was made.

I think if this were to come to auction today, I'm on the conservative side, go in with an estimate of $5,000 to $8,000.

GUEST: Okay.

All right.

APPRAISER: I think it's a terrific bronze.

Very desirable in the market right now.

GUEST: All right, well, sounds pretty good.

I always wondered about it.

I've been looking after it 35 years.