BROWN EYED SUSAN CREAMER

Q: This is the creamer from a set of dishes my mother bought in Missouri sometime around the 1940s or 1950s. Any information about this charming dinnerware pattern?

A: Your mother's pattern is called Brown Eyed Susan. It was made by Vernon Kilns, a pottery company founded in 1931 in Vernon, California. Vernon Kilns made dinnerware and figurines until it went out of business in 1958. Brown Eyed Susan decoration was hand-painted and the pattern was used on a wide range of dinnerware and serving pieces. You can also find Brown Eyed Susan glassware, goblets, tumblers, and sherbets made by Imperial Glass Co. in the 1950s.

FANTASIA TRAY

Q: I'm trying to find some information about this tray. I know it's from the Disney movie "Fantasia," but that's all I know.

A: Vernon Kilns made vases, bowls, dinnerware, salt and pepper shakers, and figurines based on Walt Disney's film "Fantasia" in 1940 and 1941. Pieces marked with the date were made with different decorations. The movie "Fantasia" was not very popular when it was released in 1940, and the line of pottery was discontinued in 1941. It is now one of Disney's most popular animated films and the Vernon Kilns pieces are sought by collectors. Undecorated "dancing mushroom" trays like yours sell for about $20. A similar tray with hand-painted mushrooms and leaves was recently offered for sale at $300. Other Fantasia dishes sell for higher prices. The figurines go for hundreds of dollars.