GUEST: This is a silver "epergné," I believe.

It's a centerpiece for a lovely flower arrangement.

I inherited this from my mother, who i, inherited it from her great-aunt.

It's just been in the family for the last 60 years.

APPRAISER: Any ideas on where great-aunt may have gotten it?

GUEST: She and her husband, who I believe was a diplomat, uh, did live in China for a period of time, I believe between the '40s and '50s.

And she acquired it then, along with some other silver pieces.

APPRAISER: Do you have any idea what she paid for it?

GUEST: No, no idea whatsoever.

APPRAISER: (chuckles): Now, when you first came to the table, I immediately thought, "Why on Earth did they send this to Asian art?"

Because this is very much so a European form, an English form.

GUEST: Mm-hmm, yes.

APPRAISER: And it's "epergne."

(chuckles) GUEST: There you go.

APPRAISER: Now, epergnes are absolutely used for flowers.

They're floral display vases.

Every single one of these vases has a separate motif.

And looking at them, my colleague and I immediately thought... (snaps fingers) "Japanese."

Ah.

But it's not Japanese.

GUEST: Aha, the plot thickens.

APPRAISER: The plot thickens.

(laughs) The English vase that looks Japanese is actually Chinese.

GUEST: (exclaims) APPRAISER: On the base, there is a mark.

Now, every single piece comes off.

And when we look at the base, we have a little mark.

GUEST: Aha.

Oh, I see it.

APPRAISER: It says "Shanghai Qingyun Company."

The Qingyun Company was active from 1783 to between 1890 and 1900.

GUEST: Mm.

APPRAISER: I would say this most likely dates to the late 19th century... GUEST: Ah.

APPRAISER: 1880 to 1900, to what's, uh, called Guangxu period.

In the Qing Dynasty.

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: Japanese craftsmen were in China.

GUEST: Aha.

APPRAISER: The Chinese craftsmen were going to Japan because they were trying to figure out, what do Europeans and Americans want?

So looking at each, there's an, a different motif.

On this one, we have bamboo.

Bamboo is indicative of strength of character.

GUEST: Uh-huh.

APPRAISER: They’re the three friends of winter.

GUEST: Interesting.

APPRAISER: Over here, we have irises.

Here we have cherry blossoms, plum blossoms.

And finally, in the center, the strong pine tree, who's resilient and can last through the winter.

It looks Georgian, but the mark on the base tells us a different story.

And the decoration on it tells us a different story.

What I would estimate it would sell for at auction today is between $2,000 and $4,000.

GUEST: Nice that's excellent.

Thank you so much.

Great news.

The family would be proud.

GUEST: (chuckles) And now they might want to know who's getting it.

(both laugh) APPRAISER: Now, I just wish we could put some flowers in it.

GUEST: (laughs) We could go get some, yeah.

APPRAISER: We might get in trouble.

GUEST: (laughing): Yeah, absolutely.