Q: This little pitcher was left in a house I bought seven years ago. I use it as a container for some of my odd-shaped spoons. We've decided to sell our house and its contents and I'm wondering if this pitcher is valuable. I read that if the word "England" is not in the mark, the item was made before 1890, which makes this pitcher about 120 years old. Naturally, the pitcher that stood on my counter for seven years was suddenly wrapped carefully and put in a box to keep it from getting damaged. It has a little chip on the base. Is it valuable?
A $10.50 check auctioned for $27,350 last week at RR Auction in New Hampshire. It was signed by astronaut Neil Armstrong on July 16, 1969, the very day he took off for the moon. It is the only known Apollo-era check signed by Armstrong. He has not given an autograph to anyone since 1994.
In 2003 a professional mover in New York City was paid to haul trash away from the home of an artist who had died. He took the rubbish he was asked to remove and stored some of it, including a cardboard barrel, in his warehouse. In 2008 he opened the barrel and found ancient Mexican figurines, bowls, and jugs now valued at $16,500. The mover says he likes a different kind of historical relic and hopes to sell these.
The antiques shops are open for business again in Baghdad, although they close early and have extra security. Dealers there sell ancient treasures as well as early 20th-century antiques that belonged to wealthy Iraqi families. Silver, brass, and gold items made by expert craftsmen, china, paintings, and--of course--rugs. Prices are reasonable, but Iraq is not a place that's popular with tourists who would buy.
Oops--a knowledgeable reader of last week's ezine news, S.B., gently reminded us that the Chinese did not carry inros; the Japanese did. Of course, she is correct.
Q: Recently I bought a very interesting bar of soap called "Cigalia" by Roger & Gallet. It looks like a cricket. The box has a bed of silky material. The soap looks like it hasn't been used, although there are end bits missing. Can you tell me anything about this? A: Roger & Gallet was founded in Paris in 1862. The company made perfume and cosmetics. Perfumed soap was first made in 1879. The soap was wrapped in silk paper. Cigalia perfume was introduced c.1910. "Cigale" is French for cicada. The perfume came in a Lalique bottle embossed with cicadas and two cicadas were impressed on the lid of the box it came in.
Q: I have a large vase with these marks on the bottom. Can you tell me anything about it? A: This mark was used on pottery made at the Etruria Works in Trenton, New Jersey, from 1863 to 1894. The pottery, Bloor, Ott & Booth, was founded by William Bloor, Joseph Ott, and Thomas Booth in 1863. Booth retired in 1864 and John Hart Brewer, Ott's nephew, became a partner in 1865. The company name became Ott & Brewer after Bloor retired in 1871. The name "Etruria" copied the name of a pottery established by Josiah Wedgwood in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, in 1769. The crown mark further promotes the image of English-quality china. Cretona is the name of the pattern. Large Cretona vases sell for about $150.
Several readers thought the Apollo silver holder (ezine, July 15) held toast. The best new suggestion was that it held upright silverware on a buffet.
Regarding how to clean stains from inside vases (ezine, July 8 and 15), J.S. wrote: "Remove the mess inside vases with warm water and a couple of Alka Seltzer tablets." E.T. from Vienna, Austria, offered a tip we have never tried: Put a handful of tiny paper chips from an old newspaper into the vase, add water, and let it stand overnight, swishing around the contents once in a while. The next day, remove the water with the dissolved newspaper in it; your glass container will be sparkling again. Use only old-fashioned, absorbent newspaper, not glossy magazines or plastified material.
Q: I'm not certain what this is. "Apollo Silver Co USA, pat'd Apr. 1 1913" is marked on the bottom. I was told it might be from an old train dining car and that the check was given to the patron in it or that it held a menu.
A word of warning: 70 percent of the Michael Jackson autographs on eBay are forged or printed signatures, according to the International Autograph Collectors Club & Dealers Alliance (ADA-CC). Celebrities sometimes earn more dead than alive. Elvis Presley, the world's top-earning dead celebrity (so far), earned $52 million last year, according to Forbes magazine. Much of the money made by dead celebrities comes from music or art they created while alive. But some is from "manufactured" memorabilia, like visits to Graceland, souvenirs, use of the name and image, limited editions, jewelry, and more. But experts say that common Jackson memorabilia that has been going up in price will probably go down. One-of-a-kind items like costumes should stay high-priced. People were trying to scalp Michael Jackson's funeral tickets as soon as they were issued. They're another piece of memorabilia that some think will go up in price because only a limited number were printed.
Q: I found this unmarked plate decorated with Benjamin Franklin's proverbs at an estate sale. It is 6 3/8 inches in diameter. Do you know who made it?A: Children's alphabet plates, or ABC plates, were made by several potteries, including many in Staffordshire, England, beginning in the late eighteenth century and are still being made. They were popular until about 1860 and were used to help children learn to read. ABC plates were made of pottery, porcelain, metal, or glass. Most have embossed or printed letters around a central transfer design. Benjamin Franklin's maxims or proverbs and other "inspirational" sayings were often used on ABC plates. The same scene can be found on plates of different sizes. Benjamin Franklin wrote seventy-eight maxims or proverbs between 1733-1758 and published them in Poor Richard's Almanack under the title "The Way to Wealth." Mugs and other items were also made with alphabet decorations. The Staffordshire ABC plates sell for about $175. Perhaps we should still listen to Benjamin Franklin. The motto on this plate is: "For age and want save while you may. No morning sun lasts all the day."
Q: I have a little pitcher with this mark on the bottom. Can you tell me who made it and how old it is?A: Denby Pottery was established by William Bourne in Denby, Derbyshire, England, in 1809. His son, Joseph Bourne, took over the business in 1812. The pottery is still in business as Joseph Bourne & Son Ltd. This mark was used on Denby stoneware c.1950-1975. The signature underneath the mark is "A. Colledge." Albert Colledge designed this Flair pattern with his son in 1953. You probably have a cream pitcher. One recently sold for $10.
