Chinese Gilt Decorated Vase, ca. 1900
Chinese Gilt Decorated Vase, ca. 1900
VALUE (2014) | $8,000 Auction – $12,000 Auction
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW APPRAISAL
On this episode of Antiques Roadshow Lark E. Mason appraised a Chinese Gilt Decorated Vase, ca. 1900.
APPRAISED VALUE (2014) | $8,000 Auction – $12,000 Auction
This appraisal was featured in Birmingham, Hour 3 (#1912) and was filmed in Birmingham, AL June 21, 2014.
APPRAISAL TRANSCRIPT
GUEST:
It belonged to my father-in-law, and he got it from a relative that was in China. I've always liked it, and really just kept it in an out-of-way place.
APPRAISER:
So the first thing when you look at an object like this is to identify what one can by the shape, and this is Chinese. And this particular shape, with this kind of very tapered neck here and the ovoid body and the high foot, is typical of wares that were made in the late 19th century. The next thing we look at is the decoration. This kind of blue is called powder blue, and this blue was obtained by blowing through a bamboo straw so that you end up with this very even, kind of almost what we would say would be a sprayed surface. It's not dark and light patches that you'd get if you painted it onto the surface. And the gold is applied with very thin sheets, and that is pressed onto an adhesive that is attached to the surface. And then that design is worked into it by removing parts of the gold. And in some instances, it's almost like gold paint they painted on also. So it's a combination of techniques, and you can see in some instances where the brush strokes are placed. Once the glaze is put on, at that point, it's fired in the kiln. That gives it that shiny, protective coat. They fire it again after they put the gold decoration on the surface. And the gilt decoration is terrific. There are emblems of a bat. The bat is a symbol of good luck, among other things. And then you've got this great scene of clouds that are stylized, and flames in the air, and you've got these two wonderful animals: the sinuous, scaly dragon, and here it is in pursuit of a flaming pearl, pearl of longevity, of long life, and the dragon's chasing it. And opposite the dragon, we have this really terrifically rendered phoenix with this great plumage in the back that almost looks like a peacock tail. And the gilded decoration is typical, again, of the late 19th century wares that you find. It would date to right around 1900. One of the other features is this kind of very thin, little brown rim. That color was achieved by the heat of the kiln, and a very distinctive kind of feature that you find on wares from this period. And we look at the underside, and you can see the kind of little reddish color here. That's also the heat of the kiln. No mark, but nevertheless, what a terrific example. It's in great shape. This would sell for $8,000 to $12,000 at auction.
GUEST:
Whoa. That's, uh... That's good to know. I don't think I'll be selling it anytime soon.