fans were treated to a thrilling discovery as one guest’s “remarkable” eye for treasures was commended by an expert.
The US iteration of the treasured show set up at the LSU Rural Life Museum in Baton Rouge, where appraiser Arlie Sulka examined three captivating vases that caught a lucky man’s attention.
The owner recounted the serendipitous find, saying: “About a year and a half ago, I was driving in the morning. I left to get a cup of coffee and I saw a sign for a garage sale, it was about 7.30 in the morning.
“The lady was still unpacking some of the boxes. She was taking out this tall piece and I was directly attracted to it, the form and the colour.
“I knew it was something special. And I asked her how much she wants for it and she said $50 (£38).
“And she told me ‘I have two other pieces, if you’re interested.’ And she pulled out those other two pieces. Now, I didn’t have enough cash with me and she reserved them for me, I went to the bank, grabbed $150 (£116), gave her the money and took them home with me.”
When discussing their origin, the guest expressed uncertainty: “The iridescence and the shapes and the forms look like they are from the same era. I was unable to find any information about them. There was no signature that I can find, I looked at them and couldn’t see anything.
“I looked online to look for iridescent glass but not much information, because there’s so much out there.”
Antiques Rodshow expert Arlie Sulka was impressed by the guest’s ‘remarkable’ eye when it came to finding valuable items. (Image: CBS)
An Antiques Roadshow guest couldn’t stop beaming after finding out how much his vases were work. (Image: CBS)
Sulka chimed in to highlight a diminutive “LCT” inscribed at the base of the artwork, denoting Louis Comfort Tiffany, alongside a prefix that dated the piece between 1898 and 1900.
She divulged further: “The man who founded the jewellery store had a son and the son’s name was Louis Comfort Tiffany.
“And Louis is the one whose company made this type of thing. At that time, between 1898 and 1900, the name of the company was Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company and shortly after that it became Tiffany Studios.”
She described the item in question as an Egyptian Onion vase, pointing out its resemblance to an onion at the base with leaf-like features extending from it.
Despite the guest likening it to a tulip, Sulka clarified: “Some people have called that type of vase a tulip vase but it was actually an Egyptian Onion.”
She shared Tiffany’s penchant for ancient glassware styles, which influenced many early creations, particularly in the 1890s, to mimic what he believed to be archaic glass forms.
Sulka then revealed that the other two vases originate from the Austrian firm Loetz, crafted sometime between 1905 and 1910, frequently misidentified as Tiffany due to similar designs.
Unmarked pieces such as these, she mentioned, often suggest they were destined for local markets rather than international ones, explaining: “Because when they were exported, they usually signed the bottoms ‘Loetz’.”
“But I recognised the type of decoration so it was easy to identify.
“This one in particular I really love, because it has these wonderful lappets. They almost look like lily pads and sometimes I think they’re tadpoles, [but] the jury’s out on exactly what they were meant to be. But it’s very Art Nouveau in feeling.”
An Antiques Roadshow guest brought in three vases that he purchased at a garage sale. (Image: CBS)
When examining the middle vase, Sulka described its allure: “This particular piece, which is decorated in blue with these lovely oil splotches and the pinched form – the decoration is consistent all the way around – this one, in a retail venue, would sell for between $1,500 (£1,164) and $2,000 (£1,552).”
She then disclosed that the left-hand vase could fetch a staggering $3,000 (£2,328) to $5,000 (£3,880), eliciting an impressed laugh from the owner who exclaimed, “wow”.
Returning to the prized Tiffany vase, Sulka effused: “There are a number of great things about this Tiffany piece. First of all, the form, the colour, the fact that it’s in remarkably good condition.
“A lot of times people would put water into them and would leave the water and it would leave calcium deposits.”
Sulka assured: “This thing is pristine. It’s absolutely perfect. And in a retail venue, this would sell between $6,000 (£4,656) and $8,000 (£6,209).”
The owner’s reaction was one of pure joy as she responded: “Wow. Wow. Well, I’m shocked” followed by laughter.
Finally, Sulka summed up the treasure trove: “The total for the three vases in a retail venue would be $10,500 (£8,149) to $15,000 (£11,642).”
He exclaimed with amazement: “Wow. I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it. $150 investment. Wow.”
Clearly impressed, the expert stated: “It’s remarkable. You’re really good at finding good bargains.”
With a smile, he responded modestly: “Probably I need to start looking more often. Yes, well thank you. Thank you very much.”
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on One and iPlayer.