
Appraisal: Chinese Export Painting, ca. 1850
Clip: Season 29 Episode 18 | 2m 45sVideo has Closed Captions
Appraisal: Chinese Export Painting, ca. 1850
Watch Lark E. Mason Jr.'s appraisal of a Chinese export painting, ca. 1850, in Vintage Raleigh 2025, Hour 1.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Funding for ANTIQUES ROADSHOW is provided by Ancestry and American Cruise Lines. Additional funding is provided by public television viewers.

Appraisal: Chinese Export Painting, ca. 1850
Clip: Season 29 Episode 18 | 2m 45sVideo has Closed Captions
Watch Lark E. Mason Jr.'s appraisal of a Chinese export painting, ca. 1850, in Vintage Raleigh 2025, Hour 1.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipGUEST: This painting was given to my father from my great-uncle.
My great-uncle was a missionary in China.
From 1922 into the '50s.
APPRAISER: When do you think he bought the painting?
GUEST: It had to have been probably before 1937, I would think.
APPRAISER: I think you know it's Chinese.
GUEST: Yes.
APPRAISER: And it's what we call an export painting.
GUEST: Ah.
APPRAISER: Most export paintings display some physical characteristic that identifies where it is.
And the three major port cities in China were Canton GUEST: Uh-huh.
APPRAISER: which today is called Guangzhou...
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: ...Hong Kong, and Shanghai.
This, I believe, is Canton.
On most views of Canton, what you see right here in the center are trading centers, which they call hongs, that will fly flags indicating the country, the nationality of the trading that took place.
In this picture, there are no flags in the center.
GUEST: Hm.
APPRAISER: However if you look on the far right, what you see here is a French flag.
And you see a series of Western trading ships.
In addition, if you move back over this way, you see this sort of brown structure?
GUEST: Yes.
APPRAISER: This is one of two Western-built defensive forts.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: And if you look right around the edge, you see this sort of line, that's because this picture was originally in a smaller frame.
GUEST: Really?
APPRAISER: And that frame would have been black lacquered with gold trim around the edge.
We know it dates, from the presence of the flag on the far right and the general handling of the paint, to sometime around the mid-19th century.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: There's a whole host of different studios that painted these for Westerners who were stationed in these trading centers.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: They would be there from one to three years.
And they didn't bring photographs back; they brought back paintings to show their family and friends...
GUEST: I see.
APPRAISER: ...as mementos of where they were.
GUEST: Wow.
APPRAISER: Any ideas on what the value is?
I know you had it appraised.
GUEST: Yes.
Uh, my-my-my father actually had it cleaned back in 1978.
APPRAISER: Yeah.
GUEST: And at that time he had it insured for, uh, $4,500.
APPRAISER: $4,500.
GUEST: Yeah.
APPRAISER: Well, I think at auction you could expect to get somewhere between $30,000 and $40,000 for this picture.
GUEST: Wow-- wow, that's pretty amazing.
Appraisal: 1841 Henry Lowndes Stoneware Jar
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 2m 30s | Appraisal: 1841 Henry Lowndes Stoneware Jar (2m 30s)
Appraisal: 1914 Edward Diers Rookwood Vellum Vase
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 26s | Appraisal: 1914 Edward Diers Rookwood Vellum Vase (26s)
Appraisal: 1937 Martin D-18 Acoustic Guitar
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 2m 31s | Appraisal: 1937 Martin D-18 Acoustic Guitar (2m 31s)
Appraisal: Andre Szenes Dugo Maquettes, ca. 1930
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 2m 7s | Appraisal: Andre Szenes Dugo Maquettes, ca. 1930 (2m 7s)
Appraisal: Bacon Banjo Company Banjo, ca. 1910
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 22s | Appraisal: Bacon Banjo Company Banjo, ca. 1910 (22s)
Appraisal: Chinese Famille Rose Vase, ca. 1900
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 29s | Appraisal: Chinese Famille Rose Vase, ca. 1900 (29s)
Appraisal: Early 20th C. Bracelet with Enamel Charms
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 41s | Appraisal: Early 20th C. Bracelet with Enamel Charms (41s)
Appraisal: Edward Danforth Pewter Plates, ca. 1795
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 2m 27s | Appraisal: Edward Danforth Pewter Plates, ca. 1795 (2m 27s)
Appraisal: Edward Hopper Ink Drawings, ca. 1900
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 1m 6s | Appraisal: Edward Hopper Ink Drawings, ca. 1900 (1m 6s)
Appraisal: Elizabeth B. Custer Letter with Photograph Copy
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 1m 40s | Appraisal: Elizabeth B. Custer Letter with Photograph Copy (1m 40s)
Appraisal: German Bisque Mickey Mouse Figures, ca. 1930
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 1m 10s | Appraisal: German Bisque Mickey Mouse Figures, ca. 1930 (1m 10s)
Appraisal: Harry Bertoia Spray Sculpture, ca. 1960
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 2m 42s | Appraisal: Harry Bertoia Spray Sculpture, ca. 1960 (2m 42s)
Appraisal: Hook & Ladder Fire Truck Model, ca. 1910
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 29s | Appraisal: Hook & Ladder Fire Truck Model, ca. 1910 (29s)
Appraisal: Loetz Medici Vase, ca. 1902
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 1m 4s | Appraisal: Loetz Medici Vase, ca. 1902 (1m 4s)
Appraisal: Malibu Potteries Salesman's Sample Book, ca. 1930
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 2m 16s | Appraisal: Malibu Potteries Salesman's Sample Book, ca. 1930 (2m 16s)
Appraisal: Minnie Evans Collage, ca. 1960
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 2m 10s | Appraisal: Minnie Evans Collage, ca. 1960 (2m 10s)
Appraisal: Missal Pages, ca. 1550
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 1m 38s | Appraisal: Missal Pages, ca. 1550 (1m 38s)
Appraisal: Rhinestone & Brass Armband, ca. 1980
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 25s | Appraisal: Rhinestone & Brass Armband, ca. 1980 (25s)
Appraisal: Robert Atkinson Fox Painting, ca. 1910
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 1m 36s | Appraisal: Robert Atkinson Fox Painting, ca. 1910 (1m 36s)
Appraisal: Staffordshire Baskets on Stands, ca. 1825
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 34s | Appraisal: Staffordshire Baskets on Stands, ca. 1825 (34s)
Appraisal: Steuben Aurene Vase, ca. 1930
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 2m 18s | Appraisal: Steuben Aurene Vase, ca. 1930 (2m 18s)
Appraisal: Virginia Federal Pembroke Table, ca. 1800
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 4m 2s | Appraisal: Virginia Federal Pembroke Table, ca. 1800 (4m 2s)
Appraisal: Walnut Chair with Crewel Seat, ca. 1720
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 38s | Appraisal: Walnut Chair with Crewel Seat, ca. 1720 (38s)
Appraisal: Identified Union Soldier's Bible & Tintype
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 51s | Appraisal: Identified Union Soldier's Bible & Tintype (51s)
Appraisal: Papua New Guinea Slit Drum, ca. 1940
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 2m 49s | Appraisal: Papua New Guinea Slit Drum, ca. 1940 (2m 49s)
Appraisal: 1943 U.S. Naval Airship Service Group
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 2m 49s | Appraisal: 1943 U.S. Naval Airship Service Group (2m 49s)
Appraisal: Crandall Hobby Horse, ca. 1880
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 2m 19s | Appraisal: Crandall Hobby Horse, ca. 1880 (2m 19s)
Appraisal: 18th C. Qianlong Jade Collection
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Clip: S29 Ep18 | 3m 34s | Appraisal: 18th C. Qianlong Jade Collection (3m 34s)
Appraisal: American Walnut Cradle, ca. 1775
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S29 Ep18 | 2m 50s | Appraisal: American Walnut Cradle, ca. 1775 (2m 50s)
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