posted 06-02-2000 02:54 PM            

So I am watching "At The Auction", Leslie Hindman's auction and appraisal show on HGTV this morning, and I observe a stunningly bad appraisal. A woman brought in a family piece, a nicely engraved and engine-turned New York presentation snuff box, dated 1864. The camera clearly shows the marks, which are obviously the trademarks of Albert Coles, a relatively well known New York silver manufacturer from this time period. The "decorative arts specialist" says roughly that "the eagle mark is often found on German and Russian silver of this period, so it is most likely continental in origin". This is an expert appraisal? Bull____.

Unfortunately, this is not the only goof I have observed. In an auction of their's I found this lot:

Assembled set of 12 William IV Silver Water Goblets, London, 1832 by George Smith and GS WF, etc.

When I looked at this set, I immediately thought that the monarch looked like George III, not William, and that the Leopard head was from and earlier date cycle. Sure enough, the pieces had a crowned leopard head, where William IV pieces have an uncrowned leopard. The actual date was 1792, not 1832. George Smith III and William Fearn registered their GS WF mark in 1786, and the mark is clearly listed in the pocket edition of Jackson's Hallmarks. Fearn was in partnership with William Eley by 1797.

When I made this discovery, I owned about five pieces of English sterling. If I figured it out, why didn't they?

Here is another gem:

Two Gorham sterling silver ladles, having pierced scrolling foliate bowls, with S-curved acanthus and mask handles: 20 ounces (!) Estimate $ 150/250 (!)

I remember these as two MAGNIFICENT bonbonniere of almost museum quality. I wish I'd been able to bid on them, and I'd like to see what they are selling for properly identified!

Anyway, enough raving. It just goes to show that you can't always trust "expert" opinions. Even auction houses screw up, sometimes in ridiculous fashion. By the way, this was several years ago; maybe things have straightened up under Sotheby's direction.

posted 06-05-2000 03:14 PM            

I took two pieces of Arts & Crafts metalwork, one by Liberty & Co. and one from the Keswick School of Art, to the Road Show in San Francisco. The appraiser was unable to properly identify the maker of either one. I found out the makers later on my own. To be fair, the metals appraiser was more of a sculpture expert. I think David Rago, the pottery expert, would have been able to do the ID, because he deals in Arts & Crafts.

When dealing with broad fields like silver or porcelain, it is impossible to expect anyone to be expert in the entire range. For example, I wouldn't expect an expert in Medieval silver reliquaries to know the value of a modern tea set, and vice versa. Experts should not be afraid to say "I don't know", if that is the honest answer.