GUEST: I brought in a couple of discs that I bought 30 years ago at an estate sale. I was impressed with the craftsmanship of them, the detailing around the edges and the middle, and that they are a matched pair. That intrigued me, and also the fact that the back sides were gilded. I knew that the form was somewhat like a mirror form, but it didn't seem to be like other mirrors that I had seen.
APPRAISER: It's easy to imagine that with a little more gilding and a little more polish, one could see one's reflection in this mirror form object. It's not a mirror.
GUEST: Okay.
APPRAISER: Before we get to its exact function, where do you think these come from? Or have you had any inclination as to when these were made or where?
GUEST: I don't know whether they're Chinese or Japanese. I was thinking they were probably Japanese, but I really don't know. They've stumped me for 30 years.
APPRAISER: There may be good reason why these stumped you. They're Chinese, made for the Japanese market.
GUEST: Oh.
APPRAISER: And so they bear some qualities of Chinese craftsmanship, but they also appeal to the Japanese aesthetic at the time. The decoration itself is very subtle indeed. This is very finely etched, and then that etched surface is rubbed with gilding.
GUEST: Gilding, yes.
APPRAISER: And you can see that it's been rubbed away. The bronze has become very patinated. To talk about function, though, you mentioned before that there's some mystery regarding this portion in the middle. I'm sure you've given it some good thought.
GUEST: Right, I wondered if they were for candles, or incense, or if there were a stone in the middle at one time.
APPRAISER: What these are are cup stands.
GUEST: Cup stands.
APPRAISER: And so the function of these stands would be to have a fitted, a very small cup with a foot that would fit inside the cup ring here. Now unfortunately, as remarkable as it is to have an intact pair of stands, the cups are long gone. Why I say it's remarkable that these just in and of themselves survive and have remained together has to do with their age. These were most likely made in the latter part of the 17th century.
GUEST: Really? 17th Century?
APPRAISER: China in the late Ming dynasty controlled what is now known as Vietnam. But back then, that northern part of Vietnam was referred to as Tonkin. Naturally, we think of the Gulf of Tonkin as... that's when that name comes up most often. These are referred to as Tonkin bronze, Tonkin bronze made for export to the Japanese market, late Ming dynasty, 17th century. Now, lastly...
GUEST: That's incredible.
APPRAISER: You purchased these at an estate sale and have some investment in them. I'd like to know exactly what that investment is.
GUEST: It was two to three dollars.
APPRAISER: A pair of Chinese Tonkin gilt bronze cup stands from the 17th century would probably warrant a conservative, fair but conservative auction estimate of $5,000 to $8,000 in today's Chinese decorative arts market.
GUEST: Oh. That's incredible. That's wonderful. They are extraordinary.
