JaiGieEse Loc: Foxworth, MS

Admins: Please do relocate this if I've placed it in the wrong section.

I have four old frames that once belonged to my wife's late aunt. They are many years old, no idea just how old. No idea where the aunt got them. Not long after I moved in with the wife, We were trying to whittle down two house-holds' worth of stuff when we came across these frames. They are 16"x25", black wood, matt-finish glass, nice looking. Each one contains a an approx. 10.25"x 18" color oriental print. They are not matted. The images (paintings) are printed directly on an off-white paper, with a light gold color stroke at the top and bottom edges of the image. The backs of the frames are sealed with brown paper. At the bottom of each print, in red, are 10 Chinese characters and then the following in English:

With the Compliments of
Henry Y.S.Kao
Mayor of Taipei

The wife didn't want them and was about to put them in the pile of things we were going to take to a donation center, when I decided to save them for re-use. As I say, these are good quality frames, good glass.

I was looking at one this morning, with framing some panoramas in mind and I got to thinking that perhaps these things might be something that ought to be saved. I'd have to remove the sealed paper back in order to re-use the frames.

Does anyone know anything about these things?

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

Mayor Henry Y S Kao was the Taipei representative at the San Francisco sister city signing on Feb 2nd 1970 in San Francisco.
Maybe he gave them to someone as official or unofficial presents.

http://english.sec.taipei.gov.tw/fp.asp?fpage=cp&xItem=161487&ctNode=17452&mp=101002


It looks like he became Communications Minister after his stint as Mayor.

JaiGieEse Loc: Foxworth, MS

Thanks. That tells me how old these things are. And I am thinking they were indeed presentation gifts. Just don't know whether they are rare enough or valuable enough to warrant preservation.

The wife says her late aunt was a world-traveler, so it would not have been unusual for her to have been in San Francisco.

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

Depending how strong that sister city relationship is and how the San Francisco folk view their history of such things, I am guessing these could be worth anywhere between nothing and quite a bit.

JaiGieEse Loc: Foxworth, MS

Problem is, how do I find out?

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

It can't be that hard, just get on the phone and start ringing people up.
After all, there can't be that many people in San Fran can there? :-)
Seriously though, you have no way to back track the paintings?

Or, it might be quite easy to narrow it down to a relevant person.
Or, you could find it hard to find anyone remotely interested.
I don't know really, just see what happens, see if you get a hot trail or a cold one.
Do you have an artist name? If they had to be deemed a worthy gift they may have been relatively valuable and appreciated over the last 44 years - even if only to someone who knows asian art.

JaiGieEse Loc: Foxworth, MS

I cannot find a signature on the one I've been looking at this morning. As I say, there are ten Chinese characters above the inscription I mentioned. And there are some kind of oriental character looking things, box-shaped things scattered about in the print itself. This particular one is of two long-legged, crane-like birds, white with black tail, little red on the head and long pointy beaks. There are a coupla smaller brown birds, chiks, maybe,some foliage and a wall in the background, which is where those box-like character thingys appear, like some kinda sign, maybe. Tried to scan the inscription, but as it's in the frame and behind glass, it won't sit flat on the scanner bed, so all I got was a blur.

If no one here has any leads next day or so, I guess I'll do a bit of trolling on the internet. Maybe I'll contact the city of SanFran and seef anyone in gummit there is interested.

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

Someone here might be able to point you in the right direction.
http://www.sfhistory.org/

Heirloom Tomato Loc: Oregon

Antiques Roadshow. Art auction house. Or a reliable appraiser.

Red Bear

These definitely have value; How much is determined by who is interested and how much they will pay. These could sell at auction (or on ebay) for up to about $400 each. I've written a fw dozen books for collectors over the last 55 years. It's just a matter of finding the right buyer.

RichieC Loc: Adirondacks

TAKE THEM TO AN APPRAISER! They will know right off, and if they don't know what they are directly, they will know someone who will.

UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

Contact Maureen at the following address:

MAUREEN DONNELLY

DICKIE'S BUILDING | 736 S. PRESIDENT STREET | 4TH FLOOR | JACKSON, MS | 601-291-9115

JaiGieEse Loc: Foxworth, MS

Thanks. I'll try this one soonest. And thank all y'all who've chipped ion here. And do pas along any other ideers y'might have.

marcomarks Loc: Ft. Myers, FL

Or in Taipai before 1970 when he was a mayor... Personally I'd check with an art dealer like you'd see on Antiques Roadshow before tearing them up.

JaiGieEse Loc: Foxworth, MS

Oh, absolutely. I really hadn't looked too closely at these items when the wife suggested throwing them away or donating them, Just noted the frames and glass are of good quality, so I thought to use them for my own stuff.

As I studied them more closely the other night and noticed the inscription, I began to wonder if they might be of some value. That the backs are sealed - brown paper - is something not usually done to a cheaply framed throw-away.

To tamper with the seal would be to destroy the value of the item. Someone has passed along the name of a person not too far from me and I'm gonna start with that.

These ARE nice frames and glass, but if they have some nice value, it'll go a way towards buying the Epson 3880 I am wanting to get.