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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: nonster on September 13, 2011, 06:25:23 PM

Title: vases
Post by: nonster on September 13, 2011, 06:25:23 PM: Hello everyone. I read the "read before you post guide" before posting this and am going to do the best I can to provide you with as much detail as I can.

My grandmother has recently passed and my father is selling the house and furniture. My grandparents were from Italy and settled in the United States in the 1940s. The attached vases were given to my grandfather as a gift about 70 years ago. I have done many google searches but cannot find any detail on these pieces. It is possible they are from Italy but I really am not sure. My father is having several of them looked at by an antique dealer to get an estimate of worth but I figured this forum would be a good place to hear opinions.

I apologize for not being able to provide any more info. Any help on the value of these pieces would be very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: vases
Post by: nonster on September 13, 2011, 06:26:25 PM: 3 more photos
Title: Re: vases
Post by: snowflake on September 13, 2011, 06:50:01 PM: Hi nonster, welcome! Any chance of seeing the bottom of these pieces? Are the any markings on them? I'm sure there are many people here who will be able to steer you in the right direction. Nice pieces, by the way!
Title: Re: vases
Post by: wendy177 on September 13, 2011, 07:10:03 PM: These appear to be Greek Black-Figure Style Pottery - Black figure pottery was a pottery painting technique started in the early 7th century BCE. As opposed to the outline technique of pottery where the painter would denote a figure by leaving the flesh unpainted with a black outline, black figure painting resulted in the entirety of the flesh portrayed in black. This latter technique found more acceptance on the mainland, thus making the outline technique more or less obsolete in Attic and Corinthian painting. Have no clue on age or value maybe someone else here can give more info. I think these needs a hands on inspection by an expert. Beautiful pieces!!
Title: Re: vases
Post by: mart on September 13, 2011, 07:17:15 PM: I would not suggest an antique shop for an evaluation !! They habitually under value,, or at least many do !! Take these to a good museum and ask the curator !! They appear to be made of earthenware !! What you want to find out is how old they are !! If very old may be worth a buck or two !!!
Title: Re: vases
Post by: wendy177 on September 13, 2011, 07:27:14 PM: Agree mart by expert I meant in ancient Greek pottery not a local dealer!!! A good museum curator is a great idea and would be perfect!! And if they are very old may be worth a buck or two or three :D
Title: Re: vases
Post by: snowflake on September 13, 2011, 07:29:33 PM: I am not saying this is it, or even the same worth. But doesn't that angel look similar to this one?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300560274264+

Just saying the angel used looks similar. I don't know a thing about this type of stuff.
Title: Re: vases
Post by: mart on September 13, 2011, 07:41:11 PM: Quote from: wendy177 on September 13, 2011, 07:27:14 PM
Agree mart by expert I meant in ancient Greek pottery not a local dealer!!! A good museum curator is a great idea and would be perfect!! And if they are very old may be worth a buck or two or three :D

Oh I know what you meant Wendy, but the owner was going to take a few of these to an antique shop for a value !!
Title: Re: vases
Post by: nonster on September 13, 2011, 07:42:20 PM: Hi everyone, thanks for the welcomes and the replies! I will post pics of the bottoms of these pieces tomorrow and some more pics of the other pieces. Thanks again. I will also tell my father about the museum suggestion as opposed to the antique dealer.
Title: Re: vases
Post by: mart on September 13, 2011, 07:49:24 PM: Most local antique shops are not going to have a clue about these !! These appear to be very good pieces !! You need someone that is experienced to give you an idea of value !!
Title: Re: vases
Post by: greenacres on September 13, 2011, 08:29:26 PM: Oh, this sounds exciting! Please let us know what you find out.
Title: Re: vases
Post by: sapphire on September 13, 2011, 09:26:35 PM: Nice pick up snowflake!!

For comparison.....

(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t98/geeziesmom/IMG00163-20110829-1505.jpg)(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t98/geeziesmom/a15LekythosNike1.jpg)

Greek Goddess Nike perhaps?
Title: Re: vases
Post by: snowflake on September 13, 2011, 09:36:08 PM: It is Nike, the other is Pegasus. I'm getting all up in my Greek Mythology tonight! LOL!
Title: Re: vases
Post by: mart on September 14, 2011, 08:08:14 AM: I would love to know what they find out about these !!
Title: Re: vases
Post by: snowflake on September 14, 2011, 10:47:34 AM: Thanks, Sapphire. I thought it had to be the same person. (Nike)
I too, am just dying to know the outcome!
Title: Re: vases
Post by: nonster on September 16, 2011, 08:22:24 AM: Hey everyone,

Thanks again for all the replies. Bad news unfortunately. We sent the photos to a major auction house. They directed the photos to 2 greek etruschian experts who enhanced and reviewed the photos and both agree that they are "Grand tour" souvenirs made in the late 19th early 20th century (replicas of the suggested greek pieces many mentioned) and they are of no value. The auction house has no interest in them.

Thanks again for all the replies.
Title: Re: vases
Post by: mart on September 16, 2011, 09:00:01 AM: Well, sorry they couldn`t have been earlier pieces but better to have checked and know rather than have sold them and found out they were much more valuable !! Even if they are grand tour items they are antique and still good pieces !! So don`t give them away !! There are collectors that love them and so do decorators !! So price them accordingly if you sell them !!