WEBVTT 00:02.202 --> 00:03.403 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% GUEST: My parents and, and family are from Norfolk, 00:06.006 --> 00:11.678 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% and they spent, uh, 30-something years in the Panama Canal Zone, and when my mother retired-- 00:11.678 --> 00:17.417 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% my father passed away there-- she came back to Norfolk. And at one point, a friend of hers named 00:17.417 --> 00:21.054 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Toots-- really Roberta, but she was always Toots-- who was a widow, and had no children, 00:23.289 --> 00:27.127 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% needed surgery, and my mother said, "Come to my house, you can recuperate there, 00:29.362 --> 00:34.234 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% and I'll help you out." And, um, in gratitude, Toots gave my mother this cellarette, 00:36.836 --> 00:42.308 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% and I inherited it from my mother. Now, Toots's family was from around Edenton, North Carolina. 00:45.078 --> 00:49.716 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% What I'm interested in finding out is, was it made here or was it imported from England? 00:49.716 --> 00:55.522 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: Well, as it happens, the person who made this cellarette, um, 00:55.522 --> 01:00.427 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% made another cellarette that is on a pedestal in the museum at Colonial Williamsburg. 01:00.427 --> 01:01.194 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60% GUEST: That's fascinating. (laughs) 01:01.194 --> 01:03.897 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% APPRAISER: So if you get tired of looking at your example... 01:03.897 --> 01:04.864 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: I... 01:04.864 --> 01:08.268 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% APPRAISER: ...you can go to the, the grand galleries at 01:08.268 --> 01:10.670 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Colonial Williamsburg and see one that were made by the same hands. 01:10.670 --> 01:13.706 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% GUEST: I will definitely, definitely do that. Amazing. 01:13.706 --> 01:15.308 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% APPRAISER: So you have a, you have a very special object here. 01:15.308 --> 01:16.609 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Wow. 01:16.609 --> 01:20.713 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% APPRAISER: And the history of this piece is really tied into 01:20.713 --> 01:24.818 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the history of Eastern North Carolina. The Edenton area, where Toots's family was from... 01:24.818 --> 01:26.486 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Yeah. 01:26.486 --> 01:32.025 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: ...is home base for this object. This has beautiful figured walnut in the top. 01:32.025 --> 01:37.363 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Um, and it has this distinctive light wood inlay that sort of frames that crotch walnut 01:37.363 --> 01:43.870 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% here. And remarkably, for all of these that I have seen, it is extremely rare to find 01:43.870 --> 01:47.740 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% original bottles. So when Toots passed this on, these three blown glass bottles came with it? 01:47.740 --> 01:49.576 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Yes. 01:49.576 --> 01:54.514 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: It's hard to prove or disprove that they didn't start life in this cellarette. 01:54.514 --> 01:58.017 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% GUEST: Right here, yeah. APPRAISER: Um, the, the object 01:58.017 --> 02:05.525 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% is in great condition. It has its original hinges, its original lock. Um, it's walnut top to bottom. 02:05.525 --> 02:10.363 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% The nice thing here is, like, if you have the only one of something, everybody sort of scratches 02:10.363 --> 02:14.801 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% their head and says, "Hm, like, why aren't there more of those?" But when you have a great example 02:14.801 --> 02:20.874 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% that fits into a known group, the market tends to really salute. If this were to come up at auction, 02:20.874 --> 02:24.511 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% I would put a pre-sale auction estimate of $50,000 to $70,000 on it. 02:24.511 --> 02:27.547 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% GUEST: Holy crow. (both laughing) 02:27.547 --> 02:30.750 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% APPRAISER: So I think, like, what comes to my mind is karma. 02:30.750 --> 02:32.652 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Yes! 02:32.652 --> 02:39.692 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: You know? So your family did something helpful and kind to Toots's family. 02:39.692 --> 02:43.129 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% GUEST: Right, right. And that's a pretty nice thank you. 02:43.129 --> 02:45.231 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: It's a real treasure and it's, it's a, it's a treat to see it here... 02:45.231 --> 02:46.399 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Well... 02:46.399 --> 02:49.536 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% APPRAISER: ...under the beautiful sky here in Williamsburg, and the, 02:49.536 --> 02:51.838 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% the light out here just... All the warmth of that walnut... 02:51.838 --> 02:53.039 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: Right. 02:53.039 --> 02:55.675 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% APPRAISER: ...and all the history that this object carries with it is... 02:55.675 --> 02:57.944 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% GUEST: This would fit right in there. (laughing) 02:57.944 --> 03:00.413 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% APPRAISER: It sure would. It's quite the backdrop, isn't it? 03:00.413 --> 03:01.848 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% GUEST: It is! 03:01.848 --> 03:03.483 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% APPRAISER: For insurance, I would value it at $125,000.