Additional Coverage:
- ‘Antiques Roadshow’ seller gasps in disbelief after expert reveals the value of her wooden crate (marketrealist.com)
A “Holy Cow!” Moment on Antiques Roadshow
An Antiques Roadshow guest received a series of delightful shocks when her collection of Tiffany glass, purchased by her aunt during the Great Depression, was appraised for significantly more than she anticipated.
The guest presented two glass pieces and the seemingly innocuous wooden crate they came in. Antique expert Arlie Sulka was immediately drawn to the crate.
Its glass-plastered sides and inscription, “Louis C Tiffany Studios,” along with an address, indicated its unique provenance. Sulka estimated the crate alone could fetch $5,000 to $10,000 in a retail setting, exciting collectors and museums alike.
The guest’s stunned reaction of “Holy cow!” spoke volumes.
Moving on to the glass pieces, a pastel glass structure from the 1920s was valued at $2,000 to $3,000. The second item, a painted glass paperweight vase, held a fascinating history.
Sulka explained that Louis Comfort Tiffany himself, a painter, tasked his glassworkers with recreating his morning glory paintings in glass, a process that reportedly involved $12,000 in research and development. The guest recognized the vase’s similarity to one at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Sulka confirmed the connection, noting the Met’s vase had the serial number 1130-L, while the guest’s was 1132-L. This rare piece was appraised at a staggering $50,000 to $75,000.
Just when the guest thought the surprises were over, Sulka revealed a third item nestled within the crate: a Tiffany lava vase, named for its molten lava-like pattern. Sulka, who confessed to waiting 20 years to see such a piece on the show, described the vase’s challenging production process and highlighted its rarity.
A similar vase, displayed at the 1906 Paris Salon Exhibition, remains in a French museum. This final treasure was estimated to be worth a remarkable $100,000 to $150,000.
Overwhelmed with laughter and disbelief, the guest, who had initially estimated the entire collection’s worth at around $10,000, could only ask, “Where’s my brother?” A truly unforgettable Antiques Roadshow moment.