Chang's Chair
Chang's chair, appraised by Leigh Keno, of Leigh Keno American Antiques and Leslie Keno, of Sotheby's, both in New York City. From Charleston (2001).
The Keno brothers got a chance to see a very unusual piece of antique furniture brought in to the ROADSHOW by a South Carolina woman named Margaret. The Kenos were excited to get the chance to appraise Margaret's family heirloom. The identical brothers agreed: "Of all the different tapings we've done over the years, this is one of the most special." Why? Because Margaret is the great-granddaughter of Chang Bunker, one of perhaps the world's most famous conjoined twins. Born near Bangkok in 1811, the brothers settled in North Carolina, marrying a pair of sisters in 1843 and starting families. The two couples occupied two houses nearby one another, Chang and Eng spending half their time in each home each week. The heirloom that's found its way to Margaret is her great-grandfather's special hardwood chair, built double-wide to accommodate both brothers at once. Noting what a unique and wonderful piece it is, as well as that there has been a resurgence of interest in conjoined twins of late, the Keno brothers estimated the chair's market value at $10,000 to $12,000. Margaret was pleased but not tempted. "Well, that's interesting to know, but it will never be for sale," she said.Somali Neck Rest
Somali neck rest, appraised by John Buxton, Dallas, Texas. From Birmingham (2000).
A sixth grade teacher from Geraldine, Alabama, brought a neck rest he'd bought for $2, wondering if it was real or a reproduction. "When my class studied African or Asian countries that use neck rests," he said, "I let my students pass it around and look at it so they could be familiar with what a neck rest is." First, appraiser John Buxton explained what he had on his hands. "A neck rest is actually a pillow. Women with elaborate coiffures would place this under the back of the head as they slept to keep their heads off the ground and their coiffures intact." Then, John gave him the good news: "This a real piece, and let me tell you why. It was made in Somalia in the 1920s or 1930s and has a wonderful patination where it's been used. The designs on the side are a wonderful blending of African and Islamic pattern. It's a fine example in excellent condition and would be worth $500 to $700 — a pretty good investment."Skull Humidor
Skull humidor, appraised by Riley Humler, of Cincinnati Art Galleries in Cincinnati, Ohio. From Columbus (2000).
When a creepy skull showed up on his appraisal table, Riley Humler took it as a good omen. The skull, actually a humidor, was used to store smoking tobacco and was made by the famous Weller Pottery in Zanesville, Ohio, 30 miles east of Columbus."My father collected Weller pottery for 30 years," said the man who brought it in. "He bought this at an estate sale 20 years ago for $85." His father was not only a pottery fan but also a distant relative of Sam Weller, who had started the family business. "This skull is the rarest of all Weller humidors," Riley revealed. "In addition, Weller produced an admiral, a Turk, a Chinese man, and Irishman. Although those aren't all that common, they can't hold a candle to the skull. Only five or six of these are known to exist." Riley appraised the rare piece at $2,000 to $3,000, remarking that the skull was "quite unique and interesting — although you wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley."
Victorian Insect Collage
Victorian insect collage, appraised by Gary Espinosa, of Bonhams & Butterfields in Los Angeles, California. From Los Angeles (2006).
Appraiser Gary Espinosa had never seen anything like it! He examined what appeared to be several shiny, iridescent glass beads arranged within a mahogany case. A closer look revealed that those bead-like items within the display case were actually exotic beetles and scarabs placed atop a wallpapering of moths and butterflies. The owner of this one-of-a-kind insect collage had purchased it in London in 1991 along with a book of pressed flowers and a copy of Spenser's The Fairy Queen. He paid $400 for the group of items. Though Gary had never encountered a piece like this insect collage, he was very familiar with the culture that inspired its creation. "This was made during the Victorian period in England. ... They had a tremendous culture for nature at that time." Stuffed exotic fish and birds were also very popular. Gary compared the piece to a Sailor's Valentine: a similar Victorian collectible made with seashells arranged in a circular pattern. Though in "remarkable condition," Gary noted that the delicate insect collage would preserve longer if it was resting flat rather than hanging and subjected to gravity: "As you can see, we've got a couple of little scarabs here that are falling off and dropping down into the case here." Despite Gary's efforts at researching and consulting with other appraisers, he was unsure of how to determine a fair market value for the piece. He proffered, "I would say fair market auction value between $2,000 to $3,000. But, we think that ... at a natural auction for exotic nature things, this might even do considerably better." The owner was clearly delighted, and Gary was truly appreciative for such an intriguing and fun piece to appraise.19th-century Folk Art Whirligig
19th-century folk art whirligig, appraised by H. Peter Curran, of Wilton, Connecticut. From Dallas (1998).
A woman brought in a piece of folk art originally from her great-aunt's barn in Connecticut. Upon the death of the great-aunt about 25 years ago the piece had been valued at $1,500 and given to the current owner. Appraiser Peter Curran identified the piece as a fine example of a mid-19th-century whirligig, designed to scare away crows. Much to the owner's astonishment, Curran estimated the whirligig's worth at between $20,000 and $25,000.Lake Breeze Fan
Lake Breeze Fan, appraised by Gary Piattoni, of Gary Piattoni Decorative Arts, Inc. in Chicago, Illinois. From Savannah (2004).
"So really, what we have here, is really like the great-grandfather of jet engine technology," explained appraiser Gary Piattoni to Evelyn from Savannah who brought in a fan that needn't require electricity. This Lake Breeze fan, named after its Lake Breeze motor, ran on the hot air created by a flame from a kerosene lamp. It came out in 1919 and sold for $22.50, but unfortunately never found great favor in the market due to its rival, the electric fan. The electric fan won out for perhaps obvious reasons pertaining both to safety and the primary function of the fan. The hot open flame created by the kerosene lamp was dangerous — never mind counterproductive to the cooling process. Nonetheless, Gary said, the fan is an excellent example of a piece made obsolete by improved technology — and it even still works. These fans are fairly rare today, and many collectors thrive on all kinds of fun pieces of outdated technology! With that in mind, Gary surmised that a keen collector might pay between $1,500 to $2,000. And that's no hot air.Well, I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am off for the rest of the week and will continue blogging on Monday. Don't forget to use iTaggit to manage your holiday collectibles.
power hitter who surpassed Hank Aaron last year to become the home run king was charged with four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice after a four-year investigation by federal prosecutors. If found guilty, he could serve a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison along with countless hours of community service, probation, and fines. He is just one of several elite U.S. athletes who are being sought for questioning about their involvement with BALCO, the company responsible for the production and distribution of an untraceable steroid known as “the clear.” It is unknown at this time how the allegations will affect his 