"Antiques Roadshow" expert is shocked after seeing this woman's family jewel
For more than 40 years, Antiques Roadshow has made us dream of discovering treasures in our own attics. The best episodes are the ones featuring people discovering something truly unique ... and making them big. But one episode went outside the box when the show's longest-serving reviewer was literally moved to tears by an object.
A special working day
Lark Mason has come to film a new episode of PBS's famous Antiques Roadshow , in order to meet the locals and honestly assess their items. But he was far from expecting the whirlwind of emotions that this day had in store for him.
Impressive references
When it comes to Chinese antiques, Mason is one of the best. He spent 24 years at the prestigious Sotheby's auction house in New York, where he rose to the title of senior vice president in Chinese art.
The weather at the "Roadshow"
Not to mention that Mason is a renowned expert, teacher and speaker. He even ended up starting his own auction company. Yet he still spent 22 years wowing trinket lovers at Antiques Roadshow .
Volunteer position
What you might not know is that not all of those reviewers get paid. They volunteer for this work and cover their own travel expenses, a testament to their passion for priceless antiques.
The probability of being seen
On the other hand, it takes a lot of luck to get an interview with an assessor, let alone the final on-air selection. The show only takes place in six cities each year, which means thousands of people line up for their chance.
Valuables come and go
Honestly, for an expert, it's not that big of a deal when a person arrives with something of value without realizing it. However, there was something different about the object Mason examined that day.
How the show works
You see, each episode follows a familiar rhythm: first, the person enthusiastically explains how the item they brought to be evaluated came into their possession. Then an expert tells the story of the object, before giving the juicy information: its real value.
An unforgettable day
By that day in 2002, it was obvious from the outset that Lark Mason was eager to begin the expertise. The suspense sets in, the woman explains how she came into possession of the marble lion statue on the table.
Family history
It was a family heirloom, bequeathed by his mother. They had first noticed this work of art during a trip to China decades ago, but she was unsure of exactly when. However, she had her own idea about the history of the object.
Where is he from
A friend who was more familiar with Chinese art had examined the statue and believed it dated back to the Ming Dynasty. Which means that the lion would date from a time between the 14th and the 17th century.
Find the words
When Masson began his usual presentation, he was overcome with emotion. Her voice broke and it took a moment for her to pull herself together and find the right words. "Okay. Well, I'm going to start off by saying that when I saw this object I could barely ..." he choked.
A rare find
Obviously, the object on the table was the cause of this unusual loss of composure. Mason explained that the lion did not belong to the Ming dynasty. But what was in front of them was something truly exceptional.
Boast the statue
“It's fantastic. It's really… Sorry I'm a little nervous. This is one of the finest examples of Chinese art we saw in the Roadshow . This sculpture is stunning. The performance is mind-blowing, ”Mason said, adding to the excitement surrounding him.
Remarkable details
Mason pointed out the incredible detail, especially the sculpted muscles rippling across the lion's back. The marble itself was of a high quality, the best you can find. But he had to rectify part of the history of the owner of the statue.
Older than advertised
Getting corrected isn't so painful when the truth increases the stakes: he taught her that the statue was older than she thought. "It dates from the golden age of Chinese art, called the Tang Dynasty, between the sixth century and the ninth century," said the expert.
Nothing like it
Mason said he had seen other similar statues auctioned off, but they were generally much smaller and less grandiose than this one. In fact, he clarified that it was an object that should be in a museum.
Signs of aging
Several clues allowed Mason to deduce the great age of the statue - in particular the coarse chisel marks on the plinth and the absence of a signature. The texture and color of this high quality marble confirmed his suspicions.
The great revelation
Finally, Mason revealed the detail that everyone was waiting for: what was the value of this object? Well, he conservatively estimated that the statue could easily sell for between $ 120,000 and $ 180,000! And the good news doesn't end there.
More good news
Mason added that the insurance estimate for this scary lion was even higher, between $ 150,000 and $ 250,000. For years she had unknowingly had a small fortune gathering dust.
Pass on treasures
The owner of the statue thanked Mason for this information which would undoubtedly change his life forever. But she decided to keep the statue in the family. And her loyalty to her family heritage actually inspired another family to take a new approach to finding treasures.
Stand out from the crowd
In 2007, during a neighborhood garage sale, this family - who wishes to remain anonymous - bought several porcelain and ceramic objects for their kitchen. Most of them were just basic white dishes, but one stood out.
Fit in perfectly
One of the small dishes had unique floral designs inside and out, unlike the others. This particular object would fit perfectly into their kitchen decor.
To arouse interest
The family put the bowl away on a kitchen shelf without thinking about it - it was just a bowl after all. For six years, this bowl remained a decorative element in the kitchen, and sometimes used for spaghetti ... until a small detail aroused their curiosity.
Talk to experts
They couldn't help but think that the engraved floral designs indicated that the bowl was worth more than the miserable three dollars they had paid. After speaking with experts, they were advised to submit the bowl to Sotheby's.
Capture the attention
Sotheby's is one of the most prestigious auction houses in the world, and its experts are true specialists in their field. And this bowl immediately attracted considerable attention upon its arrival.
A surreal discovery
Not only did the experts at Sotheby's say that the bowl would likely sell for a very high price, but the porcelain was nearly 1,000 years old too ! The family was utterly stunned by this information.
The Northern Song Dynasty
This bowl would have been made around the tenth or eleventh century, during the reign of the Northern Song Dynasty. Its official denomination was that of a "Ding" bowl, an extremely rare piece.
Extremely rare
The name "Ding" refers to Ding County, Hebei Province of China, where all the ovens used to make them were located. As the family learned more, they began to realize that they had in their possession one of the only two such bowls left on the planet.
Let the auction begin
The only other known to experts was on display in the British Museum. Can you imagine the second one was one day sitting on a table next to someone else's junk?
Interesting theory
The British Museum's Ding Bowl has been on display there for over 60 years. It was bequeathed to the museum by Henry J. Oppenheim, a famous collector. An author named Rose Kerr formulated an interesting theory about these coins which only increased the value.
Imitate royalty
Since only a handful of Song Dynasty Chinese could live inside palaces, these bowls were made to mimic the ornate gold objects used by royalty. Some curious buyers took this into account when raising the stakes.
Great competition
During the early auction, the family were in an unreal state of shock at everything that was going on. Would they really come away with several hundred thousand dollars ? They held their breath, and then ... the bidding ran out of control.
An auction like no other
London art dealer Giuseppe Eskenazi stepped up to the plate and blew up the auction by offering $ 2.2 million for the bowl. A silence settled in the auction room. Was anyone going to outbid?
A lover of old objects
After all, Eskenazi was used to spending considerable sums of money for ancient objects. Indeed, eight years before bidding on the Song Dynasty Bowl, he had spent just over $ 23 million on an extremely rare 14th century glass jar. If he wanted something, he was able to buy it.
An interview filled with pride
With his bid of $ 2.3 million, Eskenazi won the bowl. The lucky new owner told CNN reporter Richard Roth: "There's only one other. Plus it's in perfect condition; given its history, it's a miracle." Others share his enthusiasm.
The auctioneer speaks
The auctioneer in charge of the sale, Henry Howard Sneyd, spoke about this historic event. "As soon as the lid of the box was opened, I knew I was looking at something very special." Still, the buyer had a few questions.
Where is he from ?
That only two copies survived a millennium in perfect condition was almost inconceivable. So how did this particular bowl end up in an American flea market?
An extraordinary payday
The answers were not clear. The New York family only knew that the bowl came from a garage sale and that its former owners surely had reason to blame themselves. But they knew there were ways to trace the history of an object.
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