Q. This small ceramic object was in a drawer of my late mother’s dressing table. Nobody in the family knows anything about it. No maker marks on the bottom. It is charming with the figures of three dogs and flowers. What is the purpose of the hole? I plan to put it in my garage sale but don’t know what to charge?
L. Z. – Dallas, TX
A. Forget the garage sale! You have a Victorian watch holder made in England’s Staffordshire potteries in the 1840s, 50s. In the 19th century watches were prized as mechanical wonders and status symbols. Owners needed to protect them. The result was a variety of decorative objects made of different materials. Your holder could sell in a retail setting for over $100.
Q. I recently inherited this unusual chair. I did some research and think it could have been made in the 15th century, during the Italian Renaissance, It was always displayed in the hall. It also folds. Is it a museum piece? What could it be worth?
M. C. – Wilkesboro, N.C.
A. Sorry to disappoint you. Your chair is known by several names such the “Dante,” “Savonarola” and “X.” The style was originally created, as you learned, in Italy during the 15th century. Similar forms were also made at that time in Spain.
It was later named after the Friar, Girolamo Savon arola or Dante, a Renaissance poet. It has never stopped being reproduced, with different carvings. The style was popular during the late 19th century. Yours was made in the 1930s and a retail price could be from $250 to $500.
Q. This shallow metal bowl with a bamboo design was $5.00 at a garage sale. On the bottom it says “Everlast forged aluminum.” It measures around nine inches in diameter. Is it worth more?
R. S. – Lancaster, PA
A. If you had found your bowl ten years ago, it could have sold for as much as $70 when vintage aluminum was “trendy.” Your bowl made in the 1950s has a current shop value of $25.
Do you have an antique item and need more information? For a personnel reply send a photo, along with history, size and any signatures with a self-addressed and stamped envelope and $25 to Anne Gilbert, 1811 Renaissance Cmns. Blvd., #2319, Boynton Beach, FL, 33426
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