APPRAISER: You've brought in an interesting, uh, copper bowl here, and, um, uh, maybe you can tell me something about its history and, and where it came from.

GUEST 1: It's always been in my mom's house, okay, APPRAISER: Mm-hmm.

GUEST: ...when we lived in Detroit.

APPRAISER: Mm-hmm.

GUEST 1: And they built her house in 1925, and they lived there for 50 years.

APPRAISER: Mm-hmm.

GUEST: And it sat in the dining room, and it had, um... What did they call them?

Mother-in-law's tongues?

GUEST 2: Mother-in-law's tongue growing.

APPRAISER: Right.

GUEST 1: These long plants coming out, and ivy coming out the bottom.

APPRAISER: Right.

GUEST 1: It sat on a three-legged stand about four feet up off the ground.

Okay?

APPRAISER: Hm.

GUEST 1: There's a dent in it where... I had three brothers, we used to chase each other... APPRAISER: Right.

GUEST 1: ...around the dining room table, and it crashed to the ground one time, all the dirt came out.

(chuckles) APPRAISER: Oh, fantastic.

GUEST 1: That's the dent on the side, and... You said there was a marking at the bottom.

APPRAISER: Well, there, there is a mark on the bottom, and it's interesting.

This was made, it says M. Zimmermann.

GUEST 1: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: And it was made by, um, an American woman metalsmith... GUEST 1: Okay.

APPRAISER: ...named Marie Zimmermann.

She hand-hammered these pieces, uh, she fabricated the pieces.

They were beautiful, classic designs.

Her, her major period of production was about 19, in the 1920s.

She worked in, uh, in Connecticut and New York, uh... GUEST 2: Mm.

APPRAISER: And for it to be here is a little unusual, except that she was very well-known, you know?

I mean, uh, in her own time.

GUEST 1: Would they have sold that at a department store?

APPRAISER: I'm not sure.

GUEST 1: Because my mom worked at J.L.

Hudson's, Downtown Detroit.

APPRAISER: She might have had a show there.

So any idea of, of the value of, of a piece like this?

Do you have any speculation?

GUEST 1: Not even a clue.

GUEST 2: I have no idea at all.

(chuckles) APPRAISER: Yeah, well, well... GUEST 2: I've been using it for clothespins.

(laughing) APPRAISER: Well, that's an excellent use for it.

(guest 2 murmurs) APPRAISER: You may still want to use it for clothespins.

GUEST 2: Okay.

APPRAISER: But because she's an important American Arts and Crafts, um, metalworker... GUEST 1: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: ...uh, I would think that today, um, even in this condition, you would find collectors willing to pay somewhere between, uh, $2,000 and $3,000 for the piece.

GUEST 1: Wow-- wow.

GUEST 2: Wow.

APPRAISER: So, uh... GUEST 2: Yes.

APPRAISER: It's, it's, it's an unusual piece in that it's, it's... GUEST 2: That is wonderful.

APPRAISER: ...just an old copper bowl... GUEST 2: Yeah.

APPRAISER: ...but, um, made by a well-known maker.

GUEST 1: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: And, um, you just have to be aware and, and be careful not to remove whatever original finish or p, patina is there.

People are often tempted to, to polish this up.

GUEST 2: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: But it's a, it's a handsome piece of American Arts and Crafts... GUEST 2: Thank you.

APPRAISER: ...uh, copperware.

GUEST 1: Thank you very much.

GUEST 2: Thank you very much.

APPRAISER: Thank you for coming.

GUEST 1: This is really great.

GUEST 2: Very good.

APPRAISER: Yeah.