CT MARK

CT Mark

Q: My grandmother always made a big deal about this dish. I am just pleased to display it in my sideboard. Hopefully you can help me settle a long-running family dispute. Is it valuable?

A: Your lobster dish was made by C. Tielsch Porcelain Factory, founded in Altwasser, Silesia, Germany (now Walbrzych, Poland), in 1845. The company merged with C.M. Hutschenreuther in Hohenberg, Germany, in 1918 but the name "C. Tielsch" continued to be used. This mark was used c.1887-c.1934. The double dish with a lobster handle was a popular shape from the 1880s to the 1930s and was used to serve lobster. Value is about $100-$150.

ACORN PATTERN CHILD'S DISH

Acorn pattern child's dish

Q: My partner and I found this glass bowl and we don't know what it is called or how it was used--I say porridge and she says pureed foods, like veggies. Can you help? And if you tell me I can get thousands of dollars for it, I would be very happy!

A: You have the base of a butter dish that was originally part of an early American pressed glass child's toy table set. A creamer, sugar with cover, and a spooner completed the set. The pattern is called "Acorn." The maker is unknown.

Toy and children's dishes were made by many pressed glass houses during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Your dish was made about 1890 to 1900, a time when butter came in rounds of about a pound, not in sticks as it does today. Acorn items are decorated with an acorn and oak leaves on their footed bases. Children and animals in the style of Kate Greenaway (1846-1901), a famous illustrator of children's books, are on the sides. The pattern was also made in frosted glass. Your butter dish is missing its bell-shaped cover, which lowers its value. The butter with its cover is worth $250 to $300.

VALUE HINT

Value Hint

If the name "England" (or that of some other country) appears, the dish was probably made after 1891, but it may have been made as early as 1887. The words "made in England" (or some other country) indicate the piece was made after 1914.