GUEST: I believe it is a wedding bouquet holder that was given to my great-grandmother at her wedding in 1869.

It was found in the attic as we were cleaning out my father's estate.

You were the first one that showed me that those legs opened up.

GUEST: We've been s, scared to move it around too much.

APPRAISER: So why do you think they open?

GUEST: So that it could stand at the table at the wedding afterwards?

APPRAISER: Yeah.

So do you know what these are called?

GUEST: No.

APPRAISER: Okay.

So they're referred to as a tussie-mussie.

GUEST: Tussie-mussie, okay.

APPRAISER (chuckles): Yeah, it's quite a name.

So also a, like, a posy holder or a nosegay holder, made in the Victorian era.

So the dates of your, um, ancestor fit in perfectly.

Queen Victoria was on the throne, um, from 1837 to 1901.

But the form originated in the Middle Ages.

GUEST: Really?

APPRAISER: There were odors of the, of the day, so you would have a small bouquet mixed with flowers and herbs that you'd be able to have with you on your person at all times... GUEST: Excellent.

APPRAISER: ...to rid the odors, and at the time, again, these sort of, you know, odors were thought to sort of carry disease.

So you protect yourself, but became really popular during the Victorian era, because Queen Victoria used one.

You'd hold it in your hand.

So there's a little ring here which you could put on your finger, or, women of the day would wear a chatelaine, which was, um, sort of a, a group of accoutrements that they'd wear from their, their belt or a sash.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: And there's also a pin to be able to pin it to your clothing.

And at the time, too, there was sort of this language of flower, silent language of flowers.

GUEST: Yes.

APPRAISER: So you, you've brought a, a note... GUEST: Yes.

... APPRAISER: with you-- what is that?

GUEST: The note is inscribed by my great-grandmother.

And we felt it was rather racy, saying that this was given to her on her wedding day by her "lover."

APPRAISER: Yeah, and it's... GUEST: Who was actually her husband.

APPRAISER: Oh, good.

(both laughing) APPRAISER: That was the question I had.

Would have been racier if it hadn't been her husband.

GUEST: Absolutely.

APPRAISER: Didn't see any markings on it.

It's made out of a filigree, fine wire of silver.

It's either silver or silver plate.

Value-wise, it's a funny item.

They're not usable in today's society as much.

My sense is at auction, you'd be looking in the $300 to $500 range.

GUEST: Interesting.

APPRAISER: For insurance purposes, you can see them online for upwards of a $1,000.

GUEST: Very good-- thank you so much.

APPRAISER: Sure, yeah.

GUEST: Learned a lot.