The New Year is a time of reflecting upon the past
but more importantly focusing on the coming year. New Year’s resolutions often
include spending more time with family, exercising regularly and eating
healthier. However getting organized appears on just about every New Year
resolution top ten list. Most people have an accumulation of objects in their
attic, cellar or closets. In general, people feel a responsibility to be good
stewards of objects that they inherit or receive as gifts. Before you discard
unwanted objects, it’s worth taking a look at those seemingly humdrum items in
your household. Antique treasures often go unnoticed and there is often value
in what the untrained eye sees as ancillary.

Last year the most astounding find in a dusty attic
was a decorative 16-inch Chinese vase found by a brother and sister in suburban
London that sold at auction for $69.5 million. The other Chinese knickknacks
they found in their family attic sold for only $65. In addition a retired
electrician revealed over two hundred pictures created by Picasso that he had
kept in his garage. While most of us may not have Chinese antiquities or
Picassos hidden in our homes, you may be surprised at the value of your
possessions. Whether you decide to keep your grandmother’s porcelain vase or
sell the crystal bowl that you received as a wedding gift, be sure to
understand whether your object is a treasure. To determine whether you have an
object of significant monetary value, first start by thoroughly examining the
object for labels and markings. Check the Internet or local library to research
objects similar to yours. If you cannot find the equivalent object on-line,
consider having the items appraised by a professional. Keep in mind the
condition of the object will affect its value.

While many stunning and unusual items are hidden in
one’s home, below are three types of objects that you may find stashed in your
closet or attic.

1.) Porcelain Platesare commonly inherited
and come in a variety of styles commanding assorted prices. However porcelain
portrait plates by manufacturers such as Royal Vienna can be valued at over
$2,000 per plate. A significant number of portrait plates were hand painted
after 19thcentury portrait artists.
Joseph Karl Stieler, a portrait painter for King Ludwig I of Bavaria was
commissioned by the king to paint portraits of the most beautiful women in
Bavaria. Many of these images were reproduced on Royal Vienna plates. The Royal
Vienna plates are identified by an underglazed blue shield similar to a beehive
on the reverse side of the plate. These plates tend to measure approximately
nine inches in diameter and were made to be displayed in cabinets or hung as
wall decorations. As a result condition is extremely important. Cracks, chips,
scratches or repairs can reduce the value.

2.) Porcelain Figuresof women dressed in 18thcentury costume or
children playing may be hidden in the attic and not on display in your
household, but if these objects are marked with blue crossed swords under the
glaze then the figures are highly collectable items. This particular mark
indicates that the object was most likely manufactured at the Meissen factory
in Germany. The Meissen artists were supported by the ruler of Saxony, Augustus
II whose coat of arms, two cobalt blue crossed swords were adapted as the
porcelain mark. During the early 1700’s, the German craftsman in Meissen were the
first European artisans to discover a process to make porcelain which had been
mastered by the Chinese for centuries. For several years, Meissen retained a
monopoly on the production of hard-paste porcelain in Europe hence making it
valuable today. An 18thcentury
Meissen figure can command over $3,000 at auction. In fact, a pair of Meissen 14-inch
amorous figures sold at auction this past year for $17,500.

3.) Silver bowls and platterstend to be popular
wedding gifts and you may have accumulated a few in your collection. First you
must identify whether the object is sterling silver or silver plate. Sterling
silver is a metal alloy that contains at least 92.5 percent silver and the rest
is usually copper. Silver plate is a base metal such as copper or nickel that
is coated in thin layers of silver by a process called electroplating. In
America, silver manufacturers after the 1850s marked objects to indicate the
fineness of the alloy. The object may be stamped ‘Sterling’, or have a
numerical mark such as-0.925 or 925/1000. Pieces made in Europe are often
marked with a series of symbols known as hallmarks. The standing lion with his
right paw raised known as the ‘lion passant’ is most commonly seen on quality
English sterling. The other marks on English silver indicate the city of
origin, the maker and the year of manufacture.

Similar to porcelain, silver values vary. One type
of American silver that is highly collectible is Gorham Martele produced at the
end of the 19th
century
until the 1930’s. At the Gorham plant in Providence Rhode Island, artisans
handcrafted one-of-a-kind fine silver objects for selected customers. Martele
silver pieces have the Gorham symbols thast include a lion, an anchor and the
capital letter ‘G’ as well as an added eagle over the anchor and the words
‘Martele’ stamped on the object. Martele silver objects are rare and highly
prized by collectors. For instance, a 10-inch Martele silver bowl sold for over
$10,000 last year at auction.

So as you are fulfilling your New Year’s resolution
of getting organized, be sure to grab a magnifying glass and dust your hidden
objects with a soft cloth to look for symbols and markings. Whether your
objects were acquired as gifts or given to you by your ancestors, they may be a
treasure trove today.

* Colleen Boyle is an appraisal consultant
for Freeman’s, America’s oldest auction and appraisal company. She holds
advanced degrees in Art History and a diploma in French fine and decorative
arts from Christie’s, Paris. She has appraised art and antiques for private
collectors and corporations throughout the U.S. and regularly publishes
articles about art and antiques. 610-470-5340,
cbfineart@gmail.com,www.freemansauction.com

About Colleen Boyle

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