GUEST: We inherited this clock from my brother-in-law. According to the description, it's a French empire clock, 100 years old.
APPRAISER: Well, it's considerably older than that. This French clock dates from 1805 to 1810. Specifically, it is a gilded bronze French clock. And the method in which they did that is referred to either mercury gilding or fire gilding. The gilding is in amazing condition. The layer of gold is extremely thick. The casting of the bronze is, in this case, high detail and high quality. You'll see the metal has been given the look of the lion's mane. And that was done by a group of craftsmen who were called chasers, and they were the ones who gave the bronze the textures that you see. If you had to buy it today in a retail shop, it would come in anywhere between $18,000 and $22,000.
GUEST: Wow. I didn't know if it was real.
APPRAISER: Yeah, it's the real deal.
