SHANGHAI ENGLAND PLATE

Q: I have a piece of blue and white pottery with this diamond-shaped mark on the bottom. I found it during an archeological excavation. I haven't been able to identify the maker. Can you help?

A: The mark with "W" in a diamond was used by W. & E. Corn c.1900. "Shanghai" is the pattern name. Edward Corn founded a pottery at Burslem, Staffordshire, England, in 1850. His sons, William and Edward, took over the pottery c.1864. William died in 1885. The pottery moved to Longport in 1890. After Edward's death in 1891, his sons Alfred and Edmund took over the pottery. The pottery continued to operate as E. & E. Corn until 1904.

Kovels.com Top 20 Antiques & Collectibles in July 2008

The Kovels' Top 20 list is based on the results of hundreds of thousands of searches that took place on its website during July, 2008. Occupied Japan remains on top of the list. But it's China that's all the buzz right now as the world focuses on the Olympic Games.

These dolls were made in Shanghai, China, at the Door of Hope Mission. The Door of Hope was founded to rescue "strayed, stolen, abandoned" children and women who were trying to escape from a life of prostitution. The dollmaking industry provided work for the residents and income for the mission from 1917 until about 1950, when the mission was closed. This bride and groom pair sold for $4,032 at a recent Theriault's auction.

You can find more doll prices on Kovels.com and in Kovels' Antiques and Collectibles 2008 Price List.