APPRAISER: Well, certainly, old it is.

You've brought us a very wonderful 18th-century, uh, what we call santos figure.

Uh, and most people would look at this and say, "It's a doll with wings."

But actually, it's from a long history of religious figures that were made in Neapolitan, um, Italy.

And there was a whole school of craftsmanship involved with this kind of, of carving.

And this is one of the most subtly and beautifully carved figures I've seen in some time, um, with the well-modulated hair and the beautiful carved and polychromed wings.

This is, as you can see underneath, where the flaking of the paint happened, um, a wood body that has horsehair-- it's been stuffed, so it's becomes such a large figure-- and glass eyes, which, um, is more common for, um, the figures that were older.

GUEST: Hm.

APPRAISER: In the 19th century, they started just painting in the eyes, because, of course, that was cheaper.

Most of these crèche figures were made for Christmas scenes.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: And for one to have survived in, in this condition, uh, even with the minor flaking, is, is miraculous, because the size is so incredibly big.

GUEST: My research led me to the book The Angel Tree from the Metropolitan in New York, where the angels illustrated there have similar form in their faces and also very similar paint on the wings.

APPRAISER: Mm-hmm, mm-- well£ GUEST: Although the size is radically different.

APPRAISER: This, this is probably the only publication that shows crèche or santos figures like the kind that you have.

And this tree is at the Metropolitan Museum.

It was one of the most fabulous things to go visit.

Um, but I have to tell you that, as wonderful as this tree is, there is nothing as big as this archangel that you've brought to us today, who... I don't know what the angels look like, so I can't tell if he's Michael or Gabriel, or who is he.

He's been redressed.

As you can see, um, this muslin that's been put on is of a newer variety, and somehow got these nice little, uh, uh, 19th-century petticoat panties... GUEST: (chuckling): Yes.

APPRAISER: ...which were probably from a doll.

GUEST: She was dressed in lavender polyester.

He or she was dressed in lavender polyester... APPRAISER: Oh, wonderful.

GUEST: ...when I found her, and I'd like to get the right shape back, right-shaped gown back on her.

APPRAISER: It is a fragile piece because of the flaking£ GUEST: Yes.

APPRAISER: ...which inherently comes from the paint on this very old wood, which is an unstable material.

And so, consequently, um, this beautiful paint is coming off.

Do you have any idea of what the value of an object like this would be?

GUEST: I don't have any idea, and no one to, whom I've sought out has been able to give me any idea.

APPRAISER: Mm-hmm.

GUEST: Because no one that I've found has ever seen an angel like this before.

APPRAISER: How much did you pay for it?

GUEST: I paid $1,500 for it.

APPRAISER: Oh, well, at auction, they bring between $10,000 and $15,000.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: So you made quite a very, very good investment, and it's a gorgeous piece.

GUEST: As if I would ever want to sell this wonderful piece.

(laughs) APPRAISER: Absolutely.