RALEIGH—Antiques Roadshow, a
popular PBS television series that features individuals curious about the history and value of family heirlooms, found something
spectacular at their Raleigh, NC taping on Saturday, June 27, 2009.
Asian arts appraiser James Callahan
of Skinner, Inc. evaluated four pieces of Chinese carved jade and celadon presented to him by a North Carolina woman. Callahan
noted the fine quality of the pieces and recognized that they were not made for the tourist trade.
Upon the bottom of the jade bowl,
Callahan discovered a mark that translates as “by Imperial Order” and determined that it was from the Chien Lung
Dynasty (1736-1795). The appraiser gave the owner of the pieces a conservative auction estimate of as much as $1.07 million.
“For thirteen years we’ve
been hoping to feature a million-dollar appraisal on Antiques Roadshow; it’s been our ‘Great White Whale,’”
said executive producer Marsha Bemko. “We’re thrilled that despite this year’s slow economy, Roadshow finally
captures this elusive trophy.”
The four-piece jade collection now
tops the list of the show’s high value appraisals. Until the North Carolina find Saturday, a 1937 painting by American
Abstract Expressionist artist Clyfford Still, was the highest appraised item on the show at $500,000. The painting was discovered
in Palm Springs, California.
The identity of the collection’s
owner is unknown, however WRAL in Raleigh, identified the woman as living in eastern North Carolina. The woman inherited the
collection from her father, who had purchased the objects in the 1930s and 1940s while stationed in China as a military liaison.
Antique Roadshow, produced by Boston
station WGBH for PBS, stated in a news release that the North Carolina show—taped at the Raleigh Convention Center—will
be considered for broadcast in the 2010 season, which will premier Monday January 4, 2010 on PBS.
The Raleigh event was the show’s
second stop on its thirteenth seasonal tour after a stop in Atlantic City, NJ on June 6. The tour rolls on to Wisconsin, Colorado,
Arizona and California.
For more information about the Summer
2009 Tour, visit online at www.pbs.org/antiques.
