GUEST
My mom and dad traveled extensively out of the country, in the country, and they would come back with things they picked up at antique stores. I think they brought this back from somewhere in their travels in the U.S.
APPRAISER
Approximately what period of time?
GUEST
Probably in the '70s.
APPRAISER
Oh, yeah.
GUEST
In the '80s?
APPRAISER
Yeah.
GUEST
They never really told me what it was. I was the one that got them, and they've been sitting on a shelf for the last 25, 30 years.
APPRAISER
Well, they're both jade.
GUEST
Okay.
APPRAISER
And this one is 18th-19th century, and Chinese.
GUEST
Oh.
APPRAISER
And it's actually mounted by a famous New York jeweler named Edward Farmer.
GUEST
Oh.
APPRAISER
And his mark is on the bottom of it here.
GUEST
Right.
APPRAISER
It doesn't necessarily add to the value, but it ensures its salability. It's a pomander, for holding spices and things...
GUEST
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER
To make the room fragrant. And it has archaic scrolling around it. This one here, on the other hand, is actually most solidly 18th century, and it's what they called Mughal style. This is Chinese, but carved in an Indian manner. It was made after jades that were either exported to India or imported from India. And one of the reasons why you can tell it's an 18th-century one is because it's quite a bit thicker than the later ones.
GUEST
Hm.
APPRAISER
The later ones are carved like a light bulb-- they're very, very thin. Those yellow spots are referred to as just russet markings. And those are just in the nature of the jade itself.
GUEST
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER
These jades are notoriously difficult to pin down on a date.
GUEST
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER
That's why it's 18th-19th century, because one of the things, too, is, these people were carving in the same style over and over and over through centuries, with very little variation.
GUEST
So this would have been hand, hand-engraved?
APPRAISER
All hand-done.
GUEST
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER
Every single thing would be hand-done.
GUEST
And this... The, uh, the... Mr. Farmer would have gotten this piece and he would've mounted it out of...
APPRAISER
Mounted it, exactly.
GUEST
Oh, okay.
APPRAISER
This one here, with the Farmer name on it, would be probably $6,000 to $8,000.
GUEST
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER
The other one that's here, the Mughal one, would be more like $8,000 to $12,000.
GUEST
You're kidding. (laughs) Unbelievable.
APPRAISER
And, and that is at auction.
GUEST
Right.
APPRAISER
That's an auction estimate.
GUEST
Right, right.
APPRAISER
And I would not be surprised if they sold for much more at the end of the day.
GUEST
Really?
APRPAISER
Yeah.
GUEST
Very interesting-- thank you very much.
APPRAISER
Wonderful things.
GUEST
Yeah, thank you.
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