APPRAISER: In 2017 in St. Louis, a guest approached
the table, the Asian art table, midday. I recall all three specialists being
excited. We were in the presence of a wonderful, partially gilt bronze bodhisattva. GUEST: I think it's a bodhisattva. It's a figure of the buddha, and this is
a repose position. It has gilt but it's worn off. There's a missing arm. I thought
it was so beautiful I didn't mind the damage. There was a local person who was
a colorful character in Kirkwood so I really wanted to get to his garage sale.
I rushed out and the dealers had been there for two days before so I thought
everything good would be gone but when I saw this I thought it was so beautiful,
I just grabbed it. APPRAISER: May I inquire what you paid for it? GUEST: Probably between $75 and $100. APPRAISER: It wasn't a surprise to either one of us that this was left behind. As you know a
slightly off brown, diminutive, small object tucked away in the corner of a
room. Dealers have a wheelhouse, have a specific area of knowledge so a
silver dealer or a picture dealer or a dealer in modern furniture may have
walked by it, as we all do other objects outside of our wheelhouse. This in fact
is a gilt bronze figure, beautifully seated, Wenshu, bodhisattva of insight.
Beautiful drapery, there's ribbon work. Very fine, reticulated hands. Wonderful
rope and jewelry work. There is a Rubenesque, or a chubby quality to the
face, which is indicative of the age and period. It's a beautiful face of
compassion. When those in my industry look at a Buddhist work about or a
Buddhist bronze or devotional objects, faces are important. They should be
executed in a serene expression. These are objects of worship,
they're often elevated so it's all about quality like many things. There are some
features of early bodhisattvas. A truncated or, for want of a better word,
skinny waist. The jeweled chest, the very deep and fine drapery of
the road. And seated in Royal Ease. And Royal Ease is really a characteristic of
very early Buddhist art. The dating would be approximately early 15th-century or
early Ming Dynasty. I think we dated it as early Ming. I think there was a
suggestion that, on the table then, that it may have been earlier. We dated it as
early 15th-century. Stylistically these, there are characteristics that are
carried over from century to century so early works of art can be difficult to
date at times. The consensus is that it did have a base. The base that is often
associated and cast with these objects is a post, and then a similar, conforming
lotus base. So it's raised. Its revered, it's elevated, as a Buddha should be. We
would not be surprised if the original base had a inscription and that it's
possible that that base may have had an imperial inscription. Yes you're missing
a hand. Yes you're missing an arm. Any idea what it may be worth in today's
market after what I've said? GUEST: To me it was worth $100 or whatever I paid, so I
didn't really care. APPRAISER: A very conservative retail price would be a hundred to a
hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. GUEST: Really? Are you really serious? Oh my
goodness. (laughs) I can't believe it. APPRAISER: It's a wonderful object. APPRAISER: Well. Oh my goodness, I can't believe it. APPRAISER: I did view the sales in March in New York, during Asia week. Correct. So we have
a matter of minutes when we view an object.
I think Dessa dated at earlier than I did. And we dated it as early 15th-
century. The Tang Dynasty is several hundred years earlier than that. Looking back with
hindsight, perhaps the months spent researching the object, with comparables.
I understand a comparable was found perhaps in the Met. They're often a very
good guide, stylistically, as to dating and if there is a consensus in the
dating. It sold for in excess of two million. And the two million would
represent a buyer's premium. And it's certainly a multiple of both the
estimate given at Sotheby's and our appraisal, but I think the marketplace
certainly realized it was a scarce opportunity to acquire a fabulous object.
And I wonder if the exposure the object had on the ANTIQUES ROADSHOW influenced
the purchase price. We're very fortunate to to have the opportunity to be
presented hundreds of objects in a day from entry level $20, $30
salt and pepper shakers made in Japan in the 20s to exceptional masterpieces.
Having said that we're at a slight disadvantage that we only have minutes
or tens of minutes for our guests. It's bittersweet we don't get to spend a
month or two with the object perched on a shelf and have moments to touch, obsess,
research, spend time with objects, which fundamentally, is why a lot of us get
into the industry we love objects. We're very fortunate and
I'm grateful for the guests, I'm grateful that the object came across the table,
I'm grateful I was the appraiser that met the guest. And I think it's a
wonderful story of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW's role in identifying quality, giving strong
guidance to guests in relation to value, importance. I think it was an important
role that ANTIQUES ROADSHOW played in the eventual sale and possible
repatriation of a wonderful object.
He sure spends a lot of time explaining why his valuation didn't match the selling price.
The market for Chinese objects is particularly volatile, as prices have soared upwards with the wealth of the new collectors of that country. At the same time, those bidders often blow up prices at the auction but then afterwards renege. It's the Wild West (the Wild "East") of the antiques business.
They've commented on a few Antiques Roadshow episodes that Chinese art is through the roof right now, with newly affluent buyers from the east able to afford pieces that drifted into the west via Colonialism.
Is anyone else skeptical of all these "bought it at a flea market for $3" claims? I'm not saying it never happens, but knowing that these shows rely on these kinds of amazing finds for ratings, it just seems like the pressure would be too great for a producer or showrunner to go for too many shows without one of these stories popping up until they end up saying to somebody "Hey, say you bought it at a garage sale for cheap, okay?"
Edit: I won't apologize for being skeptical, but I will say that after a little research, it looks like my skepticism is misplaced here.
This item was purchased at the estate of Trezevant Branam "Sonny" Winfrey who passed away Sunday Feb. 7th, 1999. He was a WWII vet who served in the pacific theater and moved back to Kirkwood after the war. It's perfectly reasonable to think that he picked it up while he was serving at a time and place where its potential value as a collectible/artwork was not apparent.
EDit 2: Is no one going to comment on how cool a name Trezevant is?!!
He was way off. The Tang Dynasty were around in the 7th century.
Looks like AvalokiteΕvara
I would really like to know how they date these things.
Sad , all these stuff stolen from Asia
Ive give a 4pack of toilet paper