Antiques Roadshow visitor speechless as artwork items are valued
WARNING: This article comprises spoilers from Antiques Roadshow.
An Antiques Roadshow knowledgeable confirmed off the hidden “naughty” aspect of a bronze kitten that’s deemed a “collectible”.
The PBS collection ventured to Birmingham for filming the place knowledgeable Gary Piattoni was offered with a kitten figurine that the visitor had owned for almost 20 years in the past.
She said: “I got it in Florida about 17 years ago and I got it at an estate sale but I don’t know what I paid for it. I forgot.”
When requested if she may “guess”, the visitor estimated that it was “probably about $5”.
Piattoni commented: “Well it’s really charming and it’s a bronze. It’s what they call an Austrian cold-painted bronze.”
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He then continued: “This cat also has a secret, doesn’t it?”, with Piattoni then opening up the figurine to disclose a squatting bare lady picture inside.
“The cat opens up and it converts to a little naughty image here.
“It’s kind of, what I would think, an early Transformer. This was probably done around 1910.
“There was a very famous artist who made these, his name was Bergman and he did large scale sculptures.”
“But he always signed his small ‘naughty bronzes’, ‘Namgreb’ which is ‘Bergman’ spelled backwards and he always signed his pieces.
“This piece does not have Bergman’s signature so I have to assume it is a colleague or a contemporary of his.”
Despite not being work from Bergman, it nonetheless had the Austria mark on the again which signifies it’s Austrian bronze.
“So what you’ve got here is a lovely little naughty bronze by day, kitty, and by night, a very risque image.”
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Concluding, Piattoni mentioned: “Value on a piece like this, because they’re highly collectible, is $2,000.”
Upon listening to its true worth, the visitor giggled: “Oh my goodness.”
“Isn’t that fantastic?” Piattoni probed with the kitten’s proprietor agreeing, smiling from ear to ear.
Antiques Roadshow is available to look at on PBS.
