GUEST: This is a, what I think is a tea cozy that I purchased on Portobello Road in London about maybe five or six years ago. And what attracted me to it was, I have some other whimsies that, that are beaded in the same manner that I purchased in, in the States. And this beading reminded me of those pieces. Those pieces, I believe, were made by the Iroquois Indians near Niagara Falls at the turn of the century.
APPRAISER: It's made by the Iroquois, and, uh, in the summer, spring to autumn, uh, they clustered around Niagara Falls, set up little tables, and sold beaded whimsies. They're typically small pouches.
GUEST: Right.
APPRAISER: Maybe five or six inches in diameter.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: But they would have sold thousands of beaded whimsies for every one tea cozy. It's really a rare object. This is earlier than circa 1900.
GUEST: Oh, really.
APPRAISER: This, this may be, more or less, 150 years old.
GUEST: Hm!
APPRAISER: Perhaps, uh, 1850, 1860. So, a half a century older...
GUEST: Wow, I had no idea.
APPRAISER: ...than maybe some of those whimsies that you were referring to.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: Do you know where the beads are made?
GUEST: I don't know where they're made. I think they're glass beads, but, um...
APPRAISER: They're glass beads made in Venice, Italy...
GUEST: Really.
APPRAISER: ...brought here by traders and, uh, providing Native people with the opportunity to decorate with glass beads. Iroquois particularly favored clear beads, of which this really exemplifies them. And one of the beauties of a clear bead is that it reflects light. And objects that reflect light, in Native culture, are considered to be rather special.
GUEST: Hmm.
APPRAISER: It's almost as if there's a spiritual quality to them.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: Like a quartz crystal, some p, folks might feel. The interior is lined with a polished cotton cloth. It's also stuffed, as a quilt might be stuffed...
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: ...in order to keep that tea nice and warm.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: This side is a little bit more lavishly done.
GUEST: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: So this is a star device, a stellate device...
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: ...reflecting the upper world, powers of heaven, if you will.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: The other side...reflects a tree of life. It's in perfect condition. It could fade. I, I would recommend that it's not in direct sunlight. May I ask what you paid for it?
GUEST: I believe I paid about 40 pounds for it.
APPRAISER: What do you think five years ago, in U.S. dollars, that would be?
GUEST: Might have been $60.
APPRAISER: $60.
GUEST: Some, something.
APPRAISER: I, I think...
GUEST: I think it was less than $100.
APPRAISER: Yes, yes.
GUEST: Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER: Um, I wish I could shop with you. (laughing) That's a good value. On a retail basis today, I would value this at approximately $5,000.
GUEST: (gasps) Oh, my goodness, really?
APPRAISER: Yeah, it, it's fabulous.
GUEST: Really! I had no idea.
