APPRAISER: You brought a very elaborate piece with you today.

GUEST: It is elaborate.

We call it the throne.

(laughs) APPRASIER: How did you come by this piece?

GUEST: Well, Bob's grandmother had it, and he says she's had it for every bit as long as he can remember.

And, uh, that's a long time.

(laughs) APPRASIER: And she left it to him, and... GUEST: Well, yeah, she... APPRAISER: ...because he liked it?

Or... GUEST: It sort of evolved that he got it.

APPRASIER: Mm-hmm.

GUEST: And, uh, we've been sort of protecting it.

We had it stored in our home, and then we got-- started getting grandchildren, and we sent it to our daughter's house.

APPRAISER: Well, it does look like a throne, um.

GUEST: It does.

APPRAISER: It's interesting the way it's constructed with this X form, that, uh, folds up.

GUEST: You know, I wondered about that, if these little businesses come out.

So it should fold up?

APPRAISER: Well, I think that they-- they technically could be undone and the piece could fold up for moving.

GUEST: Oh, yes.

Right.

APPRAISER: Now, this makes sense when we realize where this piece was made.

But it's a nice example of a Syrian chair made in the Middle East... GUEST: Wow, really?

APPRAISER: And it's all inlaid with brass and mother of pearl.

This is a type of thing that would have been sold to people on a... on a trip.

Prob-- GUEST: Like a caravan?

APPRAISER: Not a caravan, but someone who's on a kind of a grand tour, seeing the sights.

GUEST: Okay, okay.

Okay, okay.

APPRAISER: Might bring this back probably in the 1890s.

It's got very elaborate inlay.

Sometimes it's only bone inlay, and that would have been less expensive than a nice mother of pearl inlaid one.

And it's got this nice, uh, turned wheel form inside here, which is also something you typically see on Syrian furniture.

It's also that it's the taste of the times as well.

The 1890s, 1900, people were interested in exotic things.

And they had kind of, what-- what's called Moorish corners.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: They would take a little part of the drawing room and put their carpets and get their, their Middle Eastern furniture, maybe some hanging brass lamps and a palm, and they'd have this exotic interior.

GUEST: (laughs) Had they used that or sat-- and sat there, or was it more for show?

APPRAISER: Well, it was kind of for show.

They would also sort of entertain there.

Yeah.

It was ex-exotic, and you'd have your souvenirs there, and it was a... GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: It was elegant.

GUEST: So it was sort of a brag corner, too.

APPRAISER: It was, exactly.

GUEST: I mean, if you went to this place and brought this home, then... APPRAISER: This shows that, one, we've been around the world... GUEST: Right.

APPRAISER: ...and two, we have "taste."

(laughing) So... GUEST: Okay, yes.

(laughs) APPRAISER: Had you had any, any idea of what it might be worth?

GUEST: I have absolutely no idea.

APPRAISER: I could probably say, if this were coming up for auction, I would estimate it at about $800 to $1,200.

So about $1,000.

GUEST: (deep breath) Okay.

Okay.

Well, I have-- you know, that-- it's not a surprise, because I had absolutely no idea what we, what we had.

But I do know that I don't want my grandchildren sitting on it.

(laughs) APPRAISER: Right.

Well, I think it's great that you've kept it in such good shape in the family... GUEST: Yeah.

APPRAISER: ...all this time.

GUEST: Okay.