You’ve probably heard us talking about Appraisal Day for a while now. The event is coming up Saturday, June 20, at the Factory at Franklin and you still have an opportunity to register to have up to three or up to six items appraised by regional experts.
We are also offering a special opportunity to have an appraiser come to your home to evaluate more of your collection. What’s that like? Read on to find out what happened when appraiser Sarah Campbell Drury of Case Antiques spent an April morning visiting the home of NPT viewer Keith Merrill.
Among the items Drury considered were wall clocks from Europe, silver, books and several pieces – among them brass trays – Merrill’s grandfather had brought from India during his time there during World War II. One of the first things that caught Drury’s eye was a charming early-19th-century drop leaf table. Examining the underside of the table, Drury noticed several notches and scrapes and explained that these were “sewing bird” scars made by clamps used to hold fabric in place, remainders from the table’s original use as a quilting table. Merrill had found another use for the table; he’d used it as a desk at the start of his real estate career.
In the dining room, Drury found what she considered to be the most exciting piece in the house: a small oil portrait of a seated man dressed religious garb and holding a letter. Unable to pry the picture from its frame without risking damage, Drury snapped a few photos to aid her in further research of the painting. Her investigations have since lead her to believe the painting may be a rare 18th-century portrait of a leader of a Belgian abbey.
“Sometimes researching certain items is like falling down the rabbit hole – one door just opens to another, then another, and another,” Drury said in a follow-up email. She now suggests Merrill continue researching the picture by consulting a specialist in 18th-century Flemish portraits. But, were Case Antiques to auction the painting based on what Drury knows and surmises about it at this point, she estimates setting a pre-auction value of $800 to $1,200.
Two in-home appraisal visits will be offered during our evening pledge programming Monday, June 1.
Treasures have also been found during the Appraisal Day event. Last year’s high-value items included a first-edition of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (valued at a minimum of $10,000); a 1930s baseball signed by Babe Ruth (appraised at $20,000); and a vintage 8-carat Harry Winston diamond ring (valued at $250,000). Talk to me, Harry Winston, tell me all about it!
Appraisers expected to attend this year’s Appraisal Day include John Case, Case Antiques Inc., Auctions & Appraisals (Knoxville); Charlie Clements, Clements Antiques (Chattanooga); Chas Clements, Clements Antiques (Chattanooga); Mike Cotter, Yeoman’s in the Fork (Leipers Fork); Berenice Denton, Berenice Denton Estate Sales & Appraisals (Nashville); Sarah Campbell Drury, Case Antiques Inc., Auctions & Appraisals (Nashville); Carrie Gough, Veritas Fine Art Appraisals & Consulting, LLC (Chicago); George Gruhn, Gruhn Guitars (Nashville); Sam Holden, Pickle Road Appraisers (Nashville); Mike Mouret, Nashville Coin & Currency, Inc. (Nashville); Selma Paul, Selma Paul Appraisal & Liquidations Services (Atlanta); Len De Rohan, Case Antiques Inc. Auctions & Appraisals (Knoxville); S.D. (Robin) Sinclair, Ph.D., Sinclair Appraisals (Nashville); J.T. Thompson, Lotz House (Franklin); Mike Walton, Walton’s Antique Jewelry (Franklin).
For more information about Appraisal Day, including acceptable items and ticketing options, please click here.